The Telangana Civil Supplies Department has stepped up preparations for Kharif 2026-27 paddy procurement, targeting an estimated 65 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of arrivals and aiming to commence procurement operations by the first week of October.

The department has adopted a three-pronged ‘SHT’ (Storage, Hamali and Transport) strategy to ensure adequate storage capacity, uninterrupted handling of paddy and timely movement of procured stocks. The strategy is also aimed at preventing leakages and avoiding logistical delays that could affect farmers.

Civil Supplies Commissioner M. Stephen Raveendra reviewed storage preparedness at a series of meetings with officials here on Saturday. Telangana State Warehousing Corporation Managing Director Korra Lakshmi, District Civil Supplies Officers and District Managers presented district-wise updates and flagged infrastructure-related bottlenecks.

As part of the storage plan, officials have been directed to identify and mobilise a range of facilities, including regular godowns, defunct rice mills, industrial sheds, Agricultural Market Committee facilities and large function halls. The exercise is intended to create sufficient capacity to handle the projected 65 LMT arrivals without a last-minute shortage of storage space.

The Commissioner has made GPS-based Vehicle Location Tracking Systems (VLTS) mandatory for all vehicles transporting procured paddy. The measure is intended to improve transparency in transportation and prevent diversion of stocks.

Accountability at the field level is also being strengthened through a dedicated Physical Verification mobile application. Supervisory officers at the divisional and district levels have been instructed to conduct frequent random inspections of rice mills using the application.

Mr. Raveendra warned that Paddy Procurement Centre (PPC) in-charges found generating fake procurement sheets would face severe legal action.