Hyderabad: Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy has responded to allegations by BRS leader T Harish Rao with paddy procurement data, saying the Congress government’s efforts speak for themselves.
Posting on social media on Tuesday, Uttam Kumar Reddy shared procurement statistics and said Harish Rao should stop what he called a routine spread of misinformation. “Please see these figures before repeating falsehoods daily,” he wrote, tagging Harish Rao directly.
As of May 12, the state government had procured 43.10 lakh metric tonnes (LMTs) of paddy during the ongoing Rabi 2024–25 season. That compares with 29.88 LMTs procured in the same period last year and 19.62 LMTs the year before—up by around 44% from last year and more than double from two years ago.
The minister said these numbers reflect the Congress government’s decision to set up more procurement centres and improve operations to directly support farmers. He also cited the implementation of Minimum Support Price (MSP) along with a ₹500 per quintal bonus for fine-quality paddy, and faster procurement timelines as measures that have eased pressure on cultivators.
He also pointed to what he described as a record-breaking agricultural output in Telangana. In the Vanakalam season, paddy was grown on 66.7 lakh acres producing 153.5 LMT, and in the Yasangi season, another 127 LMT was harvested from 55 lakh acres. Together, the state produced 280 LMT in one agricultural year—a figure the minister said marks a first in Telangana’s history and is among the highest in the country.
He noted that this output was achieved despite the collapse of the Kaleshwaram project.
