Rice prices in Hyderabad have been capped by the state government after intensified raids by the civil supplies department and the legal metrology wing, but consumers say the fixed rates remain too high and are seeking subsidised sales counters for popular varieties.
BPT and KNM rice, which had reached ₹75–80 per kg, are now being sold at ₹66 per kg, or ₹1,719 for a 26-kg bag, in the retail market. Premium varieties including RNR and Telangana Sona have been fixed at ₹74 per kg, or ₹1,924 for a 26-kg bag. HMT and Jai Sriram rice are being sold at ₹77 per kg, equivalent to ₹2,002 for a 26-kg bag.
The government fixed the rates after accounting for the profit margins of wholesalers and retailers, with the stated aim of preventing further increases. Enforcement teams have warned traders that selling above the prescribed prices could result in fines, cases and the sealing of shops.
The intervention has offered some relief to middle- and lower-income households, but consumers told the Times of India that the prices continued to strain monthly budgets. They said the government should establish dedicated counters where commonly consumed rice varieties could be sold at subsidised rates. Some consumers also demanded that prices return to the ₹50–60 per kg range.
“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,” consumer P Rajaiah was quoted as saying.
Retailers and wholesalers said the price controls had created a gap between their procurement costs and the rates at which they were required to sell. Retailer Rishab Jain said traders had bought rice at higher prices, while officials were warning of penalties for sales above the prescribed rates. He argued that the government should have intervened earlier, when traders and millers were paying farmers more for paddy amid concerns about the impact of El Nino.
Some retailers also alleged that millers were unwilling to supply rice at the government-fixed rates. They claimed that suppliers were offering stocks at higher prices while issuing formal bills that showed the prescribed rates. Although civil supplies officials had asked retailers to lodge complaints against such millers, traders said they were reluctant to enter into legal disputes while trying to keep their businesses running.
Wholesaler Dinesh Bansal of Bansal Trading Company said wholesale prices stood at ₹6,400 per quintal for BPT and KNM, ₹7,200 for Telangana Sona and RNR, and ₹7,700 for HMT and Jai Sriram. He said traders risked cases or the sealing of their stores if they sold above the government-fixed rates.
Rice miller Prabhakar Rao said traders from Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh had bought fine paddy from Telangana farmers at higher prices because of concerns over possible El Nino-related effects. He said the state government had sufficient fine paddy stocks in its godowns and with rice millers to meet demand for a year until the next monsoon, even if the weather impact was severe. Rao also called for subsidised sale counters for general consumers. The government’s next step, according to the demands raised by consumers and industry participants, is whether it will create such counters while continuing enforcement of the capped rates.
