Uttam directs Civil Supplies Corp to plan 5-10 lakh MT grain storage capacity
Hyderabad: Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy directed the Telangana State Civil Supplies Corporation to plan an additional five lakh to 10 lakh metric tonnes of grain storage capacity.
He issued the direction while reviewing the Corporation’s affairs with senior officials on Thursday.
The proposed facilities would include state-of-the-art grain silos. Uttam Kumar Reddy also suggested involving women’s Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in developing and operating the facilities on a large scale.
The Minister said Telangana needed to expand its grain storage infrastructure in line with the rapid growth in paddy cultivation and production.
Improved irrigation support has expanded the cultivable area. In addition, procurement at the Minimum Support Price has increased paddy arrivals year after year.
As a result, the State needs more safe, scientific and strategically located storage facilities. Uttam Kumar Reddy said conventional godowns alone would not meet the emerging requirement.
He called for a modern storage network with automated handling and scientific preservation. The system should also support mechanised movement and digital monitoring.
Furthermore, the Minister stressed the need to protect stored grain from moisture, pests and other storage-related losses.
Grain storage capacity to expand through modern silos
Uttam Kumar Reddy suggested examining models that involve women’s SHGs, village-level institutions and the Civil Supplies Corporation.
These groups and institutions could participate in developing, managing or operating modern storage facilities, he said.
“The State’s storage infrastructure should be planned not merely for the next procurement season but for the requirements of the coming decades,” the Minister said.
At present, Telangana’s storage facilities are distributed among several agencies. These include the Civil Supplies Corporation, Telangana State Warehousing Corporation and Central Warehousing Corporation.
The Food Corporation of India, Agricultural Market Committees and private investor godowns also provide storage space.
The State Warehousing Corporation alone owns about six lakh metric tonnes of capacity. However, the State still arranges substantial additional space during procurement seasons through other agencies and hired facilities.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said the growing gap between large-scale procurement and permanent scientific storage required urgent action.
He directed officials to prepare a comprehensive strategy for expanding the State’s storage network. The plan should address both immediate procurement requirements and longer-term needs.
The Minister also instructed the Civil Supplies Corporation to formulate an effective strategy to recover outstanding dues from defaulting custom rice millers.
Officials reviewed the Corporation’s storage requirements and recovery of pending dues during the meeting.