Food Corporation of India (FCI) has recently procured 1 lakh tonnes of rice from Andhra Pradesh to serve the requirements in Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts. This development didn't go down well with Rice Millers Association of Telangana. It made it clear Telangana has got adequate stocks and it needn't buy rice from AP or other States.
As per statistics, Telangana used to be deficit in rice production to the tune of 4 lakh tonnes in the past. Things weren't same now as the state is surplus by 4 lakh tonnes and the existing godowns weren't sufficient to stock the rice produced currently.
Even Civil Supplies Minister Etela Rajender expressed the same views and assured that State Government willn't allow rice from other states for consumption by people of Telangana. He promised to enhance custom milling charges by Rs 100, increase the power limit of 100 HP to 150 HP for rice mills, exemption of market cess and reduction of VAT to 1 percent from 5.