Hyderabad, April 24 --  Telangana Civil Supplies Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy on Friday, April 24, directed officials to speed up paddy procurement operations across the state for the Rabi season, saying the government is prepared to purchase an unprecedented 90 lakh metric tonne of grain this year.

Chairing a high-level review meeting at the Dr BR Ambedkar Secretariat in Hyderabad, Reddy said paddy procurement has already commenced in 20 districts as grain has begun arriving at centres, while the process is yet to begin in the remaining 13 districts owing to delayed sowing.

"Since paddy production has risen to record levels after the Congress government came to power, we are ready to procure at a scale never seen before," he told of...