FCI Rejects Telangana Rice Worth Rs.150 cr

Hyderabad: A new dispute has arisen between the Telangana state government and the Food Corporation of India (FCI) regarding the rejection of fortified rice stocks. The FCI has turned down rice supplies worth nearly ₹150 crore from 290 rice mills in Telangana, claiming "inferior quality." In response, the rice millers are threatening to stage protests against the FCI.

The issue was brought to the attention of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao during a meeting at the Secretariat. The Chief Minister discussed the problem of previous kharif rice stocks and recent rabi paddy stocks that remain in rice mills across the state due to delays in FCI's procurement and a shortage of storage space in FCI godowns.

The civil supplies minister raised the concern that FCI is causing difficulties for rice millers in the state. He pointed out that the millers had mixed the fortified rice kernels (FRKs) supplied by FCI with rice after milling, and then supplied it back to FCI for the public distribution system. So, it's puzzling why the FCI would claim that the fortified rice was of "inferior quality" when they were the ones who provided the FRKs.

The minister also complained that the FCI was intentionally creating problems for the millers by asking them to take back rice stocks that were supplied to FCI three months ago.

In response, the Chief Minister directed the minister and civil supplies officials to urgently go to Delhi and meet with the Union food minister and officials. He asked them to file a complaint against FCI regarding this issue.

Recently, India had banned the export of non-basmati white rice after retail prices rose 3 per cent in a month as late monsoon damaged crops.