Telangana BJP president N. Ramachandra Rao on Thursday alleged massive misappropriation of paddy worth Rs 500 crore procured by the government and demanded an impartial investigation. In a letter to Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, he demanded an impartial, transparent and speedy probe.

He said the misappropriation of paddy procured by the government amounting to around Rs 500 crore and misappropriation of around 90,000 tonnes of paddy has caused widespread concern across Telangana.

Ramachandra Rao wrote in the letter that various media reports stated that thousands of tonnes of paddy handed over to mills for custom grinding were neither found in stock nor returned to the government in the form of rice, resulting in huge loss to the government exchequer.

These reports also highlight a growing gap between the quantity of paddy supplied to millers and the quantity of rice received by the government since 2023. The alleged scale of these irregularities has naturally raised serious concerns among farmers and the general public.

Describing the paddy procurement system as a vital safeguard for farmers’ livelihoods and an essential component of the public distribution framework, the BJP leader said any embezzlement or misuse of government stock not only causes huge financial loss to the exchequer but also breaks the trust of farmers who depend on a transparent, efficient and accountable procurement mechanism.

He wrote in the letter that given the gravity of the matter, I demand that the ongoing investigation be conducted in a fair, transparent and expeditious manner, and that all those found guilty, regardless of their position or influence, be dealt with strictly in accordance with the law.

He further said that appropriate systemic safeguards should also be implemented to strengthen monitoring and accountability in procurement, transportation, storage and custom milling processes, to prevent recurrence of such incidents and restore public confidence in the system.