Telangana caps rice prices at ₹66–79 a kg; 1,141 inspections lead to 55 cases

Telangana’s Civil Supplies Department has fixed maximum retail prices for the most common varieties of rice after a sharp rise in prices, it said in a press release on 6 November. Millers and traders must print the prices clearly on every 26-kg bag.

The prices

• BPT and KNM varieties: ₹66 a kg
• RNR and Telangana Sona: ₹74 a kg
• HMT and JSR: ₹79 a kg

What the inspections found

The department’s Enforcement Task Force and the Legal Metrology Department searched rice mills, wholesalers and shops across the State from 29 October to 5 November. The drive was ordered by Civil Supplies Commissioner M. Stephen Raveendra.

The task force carried out 1,141 surprise inspections and booked 55 cases, 35 of them criminal cases. The Legal Metrology Department, which checks weights and measures, separately inspected 1,545 places and booked 280 cases.

Officials said some traders put 26-kg labels on bags that held only 25 kg. Others pasted higher price stickers over the printed price, hoarded rice meant for the public distribution system, or traded without GST registration or a licence from the food safety regulator, FSSAI.

Why it matters

Rice is the staple food for most families in Telangana. The department said the caps were meant to protect buyers from sudden swings in price.

What’s next

The department said the drive would continue. Traders found breaking the rules again can be prosecuted under the Essential Commodities Act, according to reports.