Dasoju Sravan opposes centralised grocery procurement for hostels

BRS MLC Dasoju Sravan criticised the Congress government’s decision to centralise grocery procurement for welfare hostels, alleging possible irregularities and demanding restoration of the district-level procurement system through District Procurement Committees.

Hyderabad: BRS MLC Dasoju Sravan on Saturday slammed the Congress government’s decision to centralise the procurement of groceries and essential commodities for SC, ST, BC, Minority and welfare residential schools and hostels.

Alleging that the move was aimed at facilitating a large-scale scam, Sravan claimed that nearly Rs 100 crore could be siphoned off through commissions under the centralised tender system. He addressed an open letter to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy raising these concerns.

---

The BRS leader demanded that the government immediately withdraw the centralised grocery tender notification and restore the earlier district-level procurement system through District Procurement Committees (DPCs), which he described as transparent and accountable.

Sravan questioned the rationale behind sidelining District Collectors from the procurement process. He pointed out that IAS officers routinely handle major responsibilities such as land acquisition, irrigation projects, elections and the Public Distribution System. “Are District Collectors not capable of procuring quality red gram and cooking oil for hostels within their own districts?” he asked.

He alleged that decentralised procurement was being scrapped because it would deny “centralised kickbacks” to influential persons in Hyderabad. According to him, the powers of Collector-led DPCs were deliberately weakened to favour a centralised system.

The BRS MLC further alleged that the government was planning to bypass local farmers and import cheaper, low-quality pulses from African countries to benefit large contractors. He claimed that such imports could contain high levels of chemical and pesticide residues.

Sravan also objected to the proposal of fixing prices for one year. He noted that under Telangana State Food Corporation guidelines, grocery tenders were traditionally issued every three months to ensure the supply of fresh stock and allow the government to benefit from fluctuations in market prices. “What is the hidden agenda behind freezing prices for an entire year in a volatile commodity market?” he asked.

He also questioned the eligibility conditions in the tender process, particularly the requirement of an Rs 165 crore turnover, alleging that it was designed to favour corporate companies.

Referring to previous controversies, Sravan said the Project Monitoring Unit (PMU) was already facing scrutiny, with several cases related to the centralised procurement of bunker beds and student uniforms pending before the High Court.

“Given this controversial track record, the government must explain why the grocery supply network is being handed over to the same PMU,” he said.

Sravan warned that those involved in the alleged irregularities, including ruling party leaders and officials facilitating the process, would face judicial inquiry after the BRS returned to power.