The enforcement and vigilance department has unearthed a paddy shortage worth Rs 900 crore since July.

Hyderabad: The Telangana government has intensified raids on paddy mills and recovered dues worth Rs 700 crore so far.

The Enforcement and Vigilance Department has unearthed a paddy shortage worth Rs 900 crore since July. According to a report by the Times of India (ToI), the paddy was given to mill owners for custom milling into rice. The millers had the choice of either paying the dues or facing jail. Some millers began making payments, and the state government has recovered Rs 700 crore so far.

Chairing a review meeting along with Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy asked officials to continue the raids on mills.Stating that the government had adopted a cooperative approach towards millers who operate with a genuine business mindset, the chief minister warned that it would deal sternly with those who evade payments.

“The Bharat Rashtra Samithi government indulged in irregularities in collecting dues from rice millers, which caused the accumulation of dues worth thousands of crores of rupees,” the CM alleged, while strongly objecting to the opposition blaming the Congress government for the recovery of mounting dues from rice millers.

According to the report, raids being conducted under the supervision of Vigilance and Enforcement Director-General DS Chauhan will be intensified against erring rice millers. The government expects the overall shortage of paddy, including paddy meant for auction and custom milling, could be worth more than Rs 3,000 crore.