Telangana CM writes to Narendra Modi; asks to retain rice levy at 75 per cent

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi not to reduce the rice mill levy percentage and retain the same at 75 per cent.

Rao has written to Modi requesting him to issue orders for retaining the levy percentage at 75 or at least put it at 50 per cent so that farmers are not put to hardships.

Rao's appeal came in the wake of the department of Food and Public Distribution deciding to reduce the rice mill levy percentage from 75 per cent to 25 per cent.

The chief secretary and the minister for finance and civil supplies of Telangana have already requested the Union minister for consumer affairs, food and public distribution to retain the percentage of levy at 75 per cent and "our government is awaiting the reply to our minister's letter," according to the letter released to media here.