Uttam, Harish Face Off

metro india news  I hyderabad

The Telangana Legislative Assembly witnessed a sharp exchange on Monday as Minister for Irrigation and Civil Supplies N Uttam Kumar Reddy and BRS leader T Harish Rao locked horns over the state’s Rice Export issue, turning the discussion into a politically charged debate on transparency, farmer welfare and governance.

Opening the debate, Uttam Kumar Reddy strongly defended the government’s rice export policy, describing it as a strategic and forward looking initiative aimed at transforming Telangana from an FCI dependent surplus state into a globally recognized rice export hub. He asserted that the government was consciously promoting Telangana rice as a premium global brand to secure better returns for farmers and reduce the burden of surplus stocks.

Highlighting the success of the initiative, Uttam pointed out that Telangana exported 22,750 metric tonnes of rice to the Philippines under a government to government arrangement, fetching Rs 3,600 per quintal, the highest price ever recorded for this variety in any Indian export deal. He noted that this was significantly higher than domestic benchmarks and helped the state avoid an estimated loss of Rs 13 crore amid mounting storage pressures.

The Minister also underlined the challenges posed by excess production and limited procurement by the Food Corporation of India, which agreed to lift only 54 lakh metric tonnes this year. Despite this, the state procured a record 72 lakh metric tonnes during the Kharif season, reaffirming its commitment to purchase paddy from farmers. He added that with 86 lakh metric tonnes of rice currently in storage, the export initiative was essential to ease financial and logistical stress.

In a sharp rebuttal to criticism, Uttam accused Harish Rao of attempting to discredit a successful initiative for political reasons and even alleged that the former minister had earlier recommended individuals for involvement in the export process. He dismissed demands for a House Committee probe as politically motivated.

Earlier, Harish Rao had raised serious concerns over the rice export deal, alleging irregularities and demanding a thorough investigation. He questioned the appointment of an advisor reportedly facing central agency cases and sought clarity on whether the state suffered losses due to decisions taken on such advice.

He further pressed the government on the gap between its initial claim of exporting 10 lakh metric tonnes and the actual shipment of just 22,750 metric tonnes, questioning why the exports stalled midway. Harish alleged that consignments had been lying idle at ports for months, raising concerns over quality deterioration and financial losses.