Mills continue to delay delivery of custom milled rice in Mancherial

The district houses 19 boiled rice mills and 35 raw rice mills, assigned to mill 1.39 lakh metric tonnes of paddy procured by organizations like MEPMA, IKP, PACS, and DCMS during Vanakalam-2023. So far, they have returned 61,467 metric tonnes of rice out of the 94,057 metric tonne target, with 32,589 metric tonnes still pending for delivery.

Mancherial: Private millers continue to delay the delivery of custom milled rice (CMR) to the government even as officials of the Civil Supplies department are booking cases against errant millers.

The district has 19 boiled rice mills and 35 raw rice mills. They were tasked with milling 1.39 lakh metric tonnes of paddy procured through various organisations such as MEPMA, IKP, PACS and DCMS in Vanakalam-2023. They returned 61,467 metric tonnes of rice as against the target of 94,057 metric tonnes so far. They have to deliver 32,589 metric tonnes of rice grains.

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Similarly, the mills should have to hand over 30,465 metric tonnes of grains of Yasangi-2023. This means, they need to give back 63,000 metric tonnes of rice of the two seasons. They have reportedly sold out the grains in the private market for higher prices. The deadline for delivering the grains is October 31.
It was learnt that officials concerned were showing negligence in inspecting the stocks of the grains in the mills during field visits after being succumbed to pressure exerted by leaders of rice millers’ association. A report was submitted to higher officials by physically verifying the stocks in three mills. However, the report was not made public.

Similarly, 39 mills have already defaulted on 9,058 metric tonnes of rice grains relating to Yasangi and Vanakalam seasons between 2019 and 2022 the district. The value of the grains defaulted by the millers was assessed to be around Rs 32 crore. The Revenue Recovery Act was enforced against eight mills for defaulting the grains.
As per norms, the defaulting mills should have to deliver 25 percent of more rice grains than their arrears and to pay an interest of 12 percent against the cost of the grains. However, officials are not enforcing the norms. It remains a mystery as to why the officials are sanctioning paddy produce to some of the defaulting mills.

District Civil Supplies Officer Shashikala said that stern action would be taken against those mills who delay in delivering the grains to the government. She stated that cases were registered against two mills for committing irregularities in returning the grains. A miller was arrested for defaulting rice grains worth Rs 17 crore in Bellampalli recently.

Year Season Arears rice grains (metric tonnes)

2019-20 Yasangi 627
2020-21 Vanakalam 3,386
2021-22 Yasangi 3,019
2022-23 Vanakalam 2,026
Total 9,058