HYDRAA like system soon to tackle food adulteration: CM

Metro India News | Hyderabad 

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy announced that the State government will introduce a robust and structured system to curb food adulteration, drawing inspiration from enforcement models like HYDRAA and EAGLE. He stated that a comprehensive legal and administrative mechanism will be developed after studying existing laws across the country to ensure strict enforcement, effective monitoring, and protection of public health.

Reiterating his government’s focus on safeguarding both farmers and consumers, the Chief Minister pointed out that farmers remain the only producers who do not have the power to determine the price of their produce. This gap, he said, has enabled middlemen to exploit farmers by leveraging their urgent financial needs. In an informal interaction with media on Monday, CM stressed that protecting farmers’ rights has been a longstanding priority, recalling that the Congress party had introduced Minimum Support Price frameworks and stringent laws to prevent exploitation and illegal hoarding of essential commodities.

He described hoarding of essential goods as a serious offense that directly impacts food access for the poor, underlining the need for strong regulatory systems. Referring to past welfare initiatives, he noted that subsidized rice distribution began under former Chief Minister Vijayabhaskara Reddy and was later expanded effectively by N.T. Rama Rao, gaining wide public acceptance over the years.

However, he observed that for decades, the public distribution system largely supplied coarse rice, which did not align with people’s consumption preferences and indirectly contributed to black market activities. 

To address this, the government introduced the fine rice distribution scheme, ensuring better quality food for beneficiaries. He added that the shift has been supported by incentivizing farmers with a Rs. 500 per quintal bonus to cultivate fine paddy varieties.