Officials intensify recovery of outstanding CMR dues
A total of 143 millers owe the government rice worth Rs 495.90 crore
Officials from the Civil Supplies department have intensified their efforts to recover outstanding custom milling rice dues. Criminal cases are being registered against rice millers who have caused a financial loss amounting to hundreds of crores of rupees to the government.
The arrest and subsequent remand of four individuals—including two millers from Sultanabad—by the police has sent shockwaves across the entire district. Across the district, a total of 143 millers collectively owe the government rice valued at approximately Rs 495.90 crore.
The government procures grain from farmers—paying them in full—and sends it to mills for processing; however, the millers, who are obligated to return the milled rice to the government, are instead brazenly selling it in the open market and pocketing the profits.
This same pattern of malpractice has persisted for years. Officials rarely questioned the whereabouts of the rice, and the millers—who had no rice to return in the first place—would never deliver it.
However, immediately upon assuming office, the new government began a rigorous audit to determine exactly how much grain had been dispatched to each miller and how much rice had been returned in exchange.
Faced with this scrutiny, the unscrupulous millers who had misappropriated CMR have now resorted to playing politics.
Despite having been granted a deadline until March 24, the officials have now adopted a strict stance, as they failed to receive the expected cooperation from the millers. So far, rice worth Rs 277 crore has been recovered from 95 millers, while Rs 218 crore remains to be collected from another 48 millers.
Notably, Bandari Maruti and Bandari Sarada—owners of Sri Sai Mahalakshmi Industries in Sultanabad—delivered only a meager quantity of rice against the 8,096 metric tonnes of grain allocated to them for the 2023-24 Rabi season.
District Civil Supplies Officer Srikanth lodged a complaint alleging that the duo committed fraud by failing to deliver 6,165 metric tonnes of grain—valued at approximately Rs 19.89 crore—to the government. Consequently, they have been remanded to judicial custody. Speaking to The Hans India on this occasion, DSO Srikanth clarified that since the additional 90-day grace period previously granted by the government has now expired, there is absolutely no scope for accepting outstanding dues in the form of rice henceforth; instead, all pending dues must be settled exclusively in cash, calculated based on current market rates.
He issued a stern warning that if the remaining 48 millers fail to settle their outstanding dues by next Wednesday, criminal cases will be immediately registered against them under the Revenue Recovery (RR) Act, and the authorities will not hesitate to seize both their movable and immovable assets.
He reiterated that there is absolutely no question of sparing any miller who violates regulations and causes massive financial loss to the government exchequer. It was announced that arrests have already commenced and that legal action against those who fail to clear their dues will continue unabated.
DSO Srikanth clarified that special teams, operating under the supervision of the District Collector, have accelerated this recovery process, and warned that strict action will be taken against anyone attempting to divert public funds.
