Govt caps rice prices after raids; consumers seek subsidised sales | Hyderabad News

Hyderabad: The prices of popular rice brands, which were expected to soar further, have now been brought under control, with retailers and wholesalers selling popular varieties at rates fixed by the govt.BPT and KNM brand rice, which had touched ₹75–80 per kg, is now being sold at ₹66 per kg or ₹1,719 per 26-kg bag in the retail market.Similarly, premium varieties such as RNR and Telangana Sona are being sold at ₹74 per kg, or ₹1,924 per 26-kg bag, while popular brands such as HMT and Jai Sriram are priced at ₹77 per kg, or ₹2,002 per 26-kg bag.The price control measures followed a series of intensified raids by enforcement teams from the civil supplies department and the legal metrology wing. The govt fixed the rates after taking into account the profit margins of retailers and wholesalers, with the aim of preventing further price increases.While consumers from middle- and lower-income groups have welcomed the move, many said the govt should go further by setting up dedicated counters to sell popular rice varieties at subsidised rates. They also want prices to be brought back to the ₹50 to ₹60 per kg range.Several consumers argued that the govt should not have allowed prices to rise so sharply in the first place. “Even the current prices fixed by the govt are on the higher side. It is becoming difficult to manage the monthly budget, with the prices of pulses, edible oil and other essential commodities also rising,” said P Rajaiah, a consumer.Retailers and wholesalers, meanwhile, complained that they were being forced to sell rice at a loss following the govt’s intervention.“We purchased rice at higher prices, but civil supplies officials have warned that fines will be imposed and cases booked if we sell above the prescribed rates. The govt should have intervened when traders and millers were paying farmers higher prices for paddy, anticipating the impact of El Nino,” said Rishab Jain, a retailer.Some retailers also alleged that procuring rice at the govt-fixed rates was proving difficult. They claimed that rice millers were willing to supply stocks only at higher prices, while offering formal bills reflecting the govt-prescribed rates. “Although civil supplies officials have asked us to lodge complaints against such millers, no retailer wants to get involved in complaints and legal cases. We want to run our businesses,” a retailer said.Dinesh Bansal of Bansal Trading Company, a wholesaler, said the wholesale prices of BPT/KNM, Telangana Sona/RNR and HMT/Jai Sriram stood at Rs 6,400, Rs 7,200 and Rs 7,700 per quintal, respectively. “The civil supplies officials have fixed these rates, and we cannot sell at higher prices without risking cases or the sealing of our stores. Who would take that risk?” he asked.Rice miller Prabhakar Rao said traders from Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh had purchased fine paddy from Telangana farmers at higher prices amid apprehensions over the impact of El Nino.“The state govt has sufficient stocks of fine paddy available in its godowns and with the rice millers. Even if the El Nino impact is severe, the govt will have stocks to meet the demand for a year until next monsoon. It should set up sale counters and sell rice at subsidised rates to general consumers to bring down the prices,” he said.