Despite the Congress government’s widespread campaign highlighting its support for farmers, many growers of fine rice remain dissatisfied due to the limited bonus amount disbursed so far. Out of the 31 lakh tonnes of grain purchased this season, only 9 lakh tonnes constitute fine rice, for which the government has disbursed bonuses totaling just Rs. 251 crore. Meanwhile, the remaining 22 lakh tonnes—mostly coarse rice—do not qualify for bonuses, leaving 71% of the total grain procured without additional financial support.
This disparity has drawn criticism, as only 29% of the government’s procurement has benefited from the bonus scheme. Expectations that the bonus announcement would boost fine rice cultivation have been proven inaccurate.
Civil Supplies Corporation officials had anticipated a significant rise in fine rice production and set an ambitious target of 48 lakh tonnes for procurement. However, as ground realities emerged, the target was slashed to 35 lakh tonnes. Even this revised target appears unlikely to be achieved, with projections suggesting a maximum procurement of 15 lakh tonnes.
So far, the government has managed to purchase only 9 lakh tonnes of fine rice, while private traders and millers have acquired 25 lakh tonnes. Critics allege that delays in procurement were a deliberate strategy to shift fine rice to the private market and ease the government’s financial burden.
Initially scheduled to begin on October 1, procurement efforts only gained momentum in November, by which time farmers had already sold most of their fine rice to private entities. The Congress-led government had promised a Rs. 500-per-quintal bonus during the election campaign but later restricted it to selected varieties of fine rice.
As a result, popular varieties like coarse rice, widely grown in Telangana, are ineligible for bonuses. Farmers are disillusioned, arguing that the bonus program offers little benefit to the majority of cultivators. This situation has sparked widespread dissatisfaction, with many questioning why private traders managed large-scale purchases while the government lagged behind.
Critics blame negligence by authorities and a deliberate attempt to reduce the bonus burden, undermining the promises made to farmers during the election campaign.