Over 130 millers yet to return rice worth Rs 859 crore in erstwhile Karimnagar district

Over 130 millers in the erstwhile Karimnagar district are yet to return custom-milled rice worth Rs 859 crore to the government. Officials said they were holding regular meetings with millers and preparing to attach assets of those who default.

Karimnagar: Despite criminal cases and physical verifications, over 130 millers from the erstwhile Karimnagar district are yet to return rice worth hundreds of crores of rupees to the government under the Custom Milling Rice (CMR) process.

Following the alleged diversion of rice by certain mills, criminal cases were booked against mill owners for failing to supply rice, based on complaints lodged by Civil Supplies officials. The Vigilance and Enforcement Department also conducted intensive inspections at the mills to verify the physical stocks of paddy and rice.

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Despite the cases and inspections, some millers continued to delay returning the rice to the government across the erstwhile Karimnagar district. Peddapalli district had the highest number of millers yet to return rice, followed by Rajanna Sircilla. Jagtial and Karimnagar districts ranked third and fourth, respectively. The total value of rice pending with millers was assessed at Rs 859 crore.

According to officials, 38 millers in Peddapalli district have to return rice worth Rs 236 crore, while 24 millers in Rajanna Sircilla district owe rice valued at Rs 223 crore. Thirty millers in Jagtial and 40 in Karimnagar districts are also yet to return large quantities of rice. The value of the pending rice in the two districts was assessed at Rs 400 crore.

Officials said measures were being taken to expedite the return of rice through regular meetings with millers. They added that steps were being taken to attach the assets of defaulting millers. Training would be provided to officials to enable them to attach properties. The assets of millers and their family members would also be seized if they were found guilty.

District	Mills	Value of rice pending in crores (Rs)
Karimnagar	40	180
Peddapalli	38	236
Jagtial	30	220
Sircilla	24	223
Total	132	859