BRS raises suspicion over same firms bagging tenders for paddy purchase, rice supply

BRS raises suspicion over same firms bagging tenders for paddy purchase, rice supply

BRS has alleged that large-scale irregularities are taking place in global tenders called to dispose of paddy stocks lying with the State Civil Supplies Corporation, as also in tenders called for procurement of fine variety rice needed for the mid-day meal scheme.

Speaking to the media on Saturday, former Chairmen of the corporation Peddi Sudershan Reddy and S. Ravinder Singh said that Congress leaders, particularly Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, had direct involvement in the tenders to dispose of paddy and tenders for procurement of rice for MDM scheme.

They pointed out that the procurement rate of fine variety rice for the mid-day meal scheme was fixed higher than the market price causing a loss of about ₹330 crore to the exchequer. The price of ₹57 per kg fixed for mid-day meal rice was much higher than the market price and the Congress bigwigs had helped four organisations belonging to the party leaders benefit in tenders by forming them into a ring to influence the finalisation.

They explained that the companies that bagged the paddy purchase tenders were forcing millers to take the stock lying near them at ₹2,223 per quintal against ₹2,207 per quintal at which they bought it from the corporation. With ₹16 per quintal margin without in moving the stock would make up for a huge profit of about ₹750 crore for the 35 lakh tonnes of paddy offered for purchase through tenders. Further, they alleged the government was planning to call for tenders one more time.