Paddy Procurement Delayed As WB, Bihar Workers Yet To Return: Uttam

Nalgonda: Irrigation and civil supplies minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Thursday said the rabi 2026 season saw a big phase for Telangana in terms of paddy production and procurement.

The minister said paddy was cultivated on 65 lakh acres during the rabi season, yielding 141 lakh metric tonnes. He said the Centre had declared Telangana as the top paddy-producing state, later, at a review meeting with officials from Nalgonda, Suryapet and Yadadri-Bhongir districts at the Collectorate in Nalgonda.

He said the government aimed to procure 90 lakh metric tonnes through 8,573 centres. So far, paddy had been procured from 3.84 lakh farmers and Rs 4,600 crore credited to their bank accounts. He said another Rs 2,000 crore would be released in the next few days.

The minister said shortage of hamalis had contributed to delays, noting that many workers from Bihar and West Bengal had returned to their native places due to Assembly elections. He said the situation would improve with their return.

He directed district collectors to arrange additional transport, including requisitioning vehicles engaged in non-priority work, and appealed to cement companies to make lorries available for paddy movement.

He reiterated that procurement would continue until all produce was lifted and instructed officials to purchase paddy affected by unseasonal rains and send it to parboiled mills.

Along with roads and buildings minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and Scheduled Castes development minister Adluri Laxman, he inspected a paddy procurement centre run by a Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society at Chetla Chennaram in Kanagal mandal of Nalgonda district. He directed officials to expedite procurement and complete purchase of all paddy within 10 days.

Komatireddy Venkat Reddy said paddy production exceeded estimates by 39 lakh metric tonnes and added that completion of the SLBC tunnel would further boost output in Nalgonda district.

Legislative Council chairman Gutha Sukender Reddy, MLC Nellikanti Satyam, MLAs B. Laxman Reddy, Vemula Veeresham and Kunduru Jayaveer Reddy, and civil supplies commissioner Stephen Ravindra attended the meeting.

The ministers later inspected another procurement centre at Nayakangudem in Khammam district.