Government Faces Issues with Millers Over Paddy Procurement in Wanaparthy
In Wanaparthy district, the government has been paying farmers for paddy and allocating it to millers without any restrictions. Over time, the government has heavily invested in these millers by providing them with paddy. However, instead of repaying the government, some millers have reportedly used this paddy for private trade, earning large sums of money illegally.
Reports suggest that the government is now facing interest on nearly ₹1,100 crore due from the district’s millers. Allegations have surfaced that some leaders of miller associations are involved in diverting paddy for personal profit. These leaders are said to have earned crores through illegal activities and are even willing to face jail time under the Revenue Recovery (RR) Act.
Despite having sufficient paddy stocks, several millers are delaying handing it over to the government. Some members of the miller associations have also been accused of hoarding government-allocated paddy and selling it at higher prices in other states. This has created significant losses for the government.
To recover the dues, officials have been offering repeated extensions and concessions to millers. While the RR Act is being used to take action, politically influential members of the associations seem to shield certain millers while targeting others. Allegedly, most of the unpaid paddy belongs to influential members, but only a few small-scale defaulters are being penalized.
In response to these issues, the government has introduced stricter rules, including requiring millers to provide surety guarantees to prevent future malpractice. However, small-scale millers are unhappy with these measures. They argue that they lack the financial capacity to provide bank guarantees and are facing difficulties in receiving new paddy allocations, even though they are eligible.
Small-scale millers accuse the miller associations of protecting their own interests and ignoring the injustices faced by others. They are calling on officials to act fairly and take strict action against the millers involved in these malpractices.
