Uttam Kumar Reddy Defends Paddy Procurement Record Against BRS Criticism

Minister Rejects Opposition Allegations

Telangana's Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has firmly rejected criticism from BRS working president KT Rama Rao regarding the state's paddy procurement operations, accusing the opposition of spreading misleading narratives to exploit farmer grievances.

In a statement released Friday, the Minister contended that BRS leadership was deliberately sowing confusion among farmers for political gain. He cautioned that such "procurement politics" would ultimately prove counterproductive for the opposition party.

Record Procurement Figures

The Congress government is executing the most expansive paddy procurement operation in Telangana's history, Uttam Kumar Reddy asserted. Despite encountering staffing constraints, transportation hurdles, and unexpectedly high paddy volumes, the operation has maintained momentum.

Official data reveals that Telangana received 54.29 lakh metric tonnes of paddy by May 21, with the government successfully procuring 46.21 lakh metric tonnes—representing approximately 85 percent completion. The procurement process has already benefited more than 6.32 lakh farmers, with the government transferring Rs.7,841 crore directly to farmers' bank accounts.

Comparison with Previous Administration

The Minister highlighted substantial performance gains relative to the BRS tenure. During Rabi 2021-22, the BRS government achieved procurement of 26.78 lakh metric tonnes, which increased to 36.63 lakh metric tonnes in Rabi 2022-23. The current Congress administration has already surpassed 48.21 lakh metric tonnes with procurement activities still ongoing.

Uttam Kumar Reddy further pointed to the previous Rabi season under Congress governance in 2024-25, when Telangana achieved an unprecedented procurement level of 60.44 lakh metric tonnes, with MSP disbursements totalling Rs.10,882 crore.

Addressing Logistical Concerns

Dismissing allegations regarding gunny bag shortages as entirely baseless, the Minister stated that the government has strategically positioned approximately 20 crore gunny bags across procurement centres with adequate reserves maintained throughout operations.

Daily monitoring and resource deployment have been intensive, with more than 13,000 trucks and lorries mobilised each day for logistics management. Transportation and lifting operations have proceeded without disruption, with over 43 lakh metric tonnes already transferred to rice mills, while additional stocks continue moving to storage facilities.

Political Dimension

The Minister criticised opposition figures for instrumentalising farmer-related incidents for political advantage, characterising such conduct as callous. He asserted that the BRS leadership had abandoned public confidence and was now resorting to desperate political tactics and propaganda-driven narratives.

Uttam Kumar Reddy maintained that concrete evidence demonstrates the Congress government's superior performance across MSP operations, procurement efficiency, and timely farmer payments compared to its predecessor.