Coarse rice deteriorating in ration shops, MLS points, godowns

Large quantities of old coarse rice remain stored in ration shops and stock points across the erstwhile Karimnagar district despite the launch of a fine rice distribution scheme. Dealers are facing storage problems and seeking immediate government intervention to clear the stock

Karimnagar: Delay in shifting the old stock of coarse rice from Public Distribution System (PDS) shops has become a problem for ration dealers. To provide fine variety rice to poor people and check the illegal trade of PDS rice, the State government launched the fine variety rice distribution programme on the occasion of Ugadi in April 2025.

However, a huge quantity of coarse variety rice was stored in ration shops, godowns and Mandal Level Stock (MLS) points before the scheme was launched. Though the new scheme was launched, the old stock has not been shifted from ration shops. About 27,390 metric tonnes of coarse rice is lying in the erstwhile Karimnagar district.

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Though the officials invited tenders in December last year to shift the old stock from shops, contractors did not respond. Officials repeatedly invited tenders again in May, but there was no response, and they are now planning to reduce the price.

Dealers are facing difficulties in storing the new rice since a majority of ration shops operate from small rooms and the old stock has not been cleared. Moreover, insects have infested the old stocks that have been piled up over the last one year, and the infestation is now spreading to the new stocks of fine variety rice as well.

For this reason, dealers want the government to help them by shifting the old stock from ration shops at the earliest. On the other hand, contractors are planning to participate in the tendering process only after checking the quality of the coarse rice. While 5,213 metric tonnes of old stock is lying in Karimnagar, 9,990 metric tonnes is in Jagtial, 8,848 metric tonnes in Peddapalli and 3,347 metric tonnes in Rajanna-Sircilla.