Both BRS and BJP are accusing Revanth Reddy’s government of resorting to large scale scam of worth Rs 1,100 crore in paddy procurement. They are demanding a high-level probe by the CBI into it.
BRS working president and former minister K T Rama Rao demanded for a probe into scams pertaining to paddy sales and fine rice purchases in Telangana. He wanted the State government to immediately cancel the tenders and initiate strict action against the companies involved, besides seeking investigation by central agencies like Enforcement Directorate, Central Bureau of Investigation and Vigilance department into the scam.
BJP legislature party leader Yeleti Maheshwar Reddy also accused that both civil supplies minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy and his civil supplies secretary together resorted to this scam. He said he is ready to prove the scam, if a probe is ordered by the CBI.
KTR said Congress leaders who were collecting bribes from people from various sectors, had raised curtains for the massive scam involving the Chief Minister’s Office and senior Congress leaders from Delhi. He stated that despite the BRS exposing the scandal about 15 days ago, there was no response from neither Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy nor Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy in this regard.
Rama Rao said the first scam involved global tenders for sale of 35 lakh tonnes of paddy, and the second was the purchase of 2.2 lakh tonnes of fine rice for residential welfare hostels. Both the scams amounted to Rs 1,100 crore.
The timeline of the scam was outlined: a committee was appointed on January 25, and on the same day, guidelines were released and tenders were called, indicating corruption.
“Though the local rice millers offered to buy paddy at Rs 2,100 per quintal, the eligibility rules were changed, and a conspiracy in the name of global tenders was initiated. Companies like Kendriya Bhandar, LG Industries, Hindustan Company, and Naqaf won these tenders, quoting prices between Rs 1,885 and Rs 2,007 per quintal, lower than the local price by Rs 93 to Rs 200,” Rama Rao observed.
