Centre is not sole benefactor for PDS rice, as state also pitches in Telangana
In Telangana, the state government shares the burden of the Public Distribution System (PDS) rice subsidy, with the Centre covering 54.67 lakh cards under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and the state covering 35.23 lakh. For the fiscal year 2024-25, the Centre contributed ₹4,805.07 crore while the state contributed ₹352.22 crore towards subsidies.
Hyderabad:Contrary to assertions by some central leaders that the Union government was bearing the entire cost of food grains distributed under the public distribution system in the state, the number of cards issued by it are fixed and frozen for each state. Thereafter, the states pitch in and issue additional cards in order to widen the number of beneficiaries. In case of Telangana, of the total 89,89, 836 cards with the beneficiaries in the state, the centre bears the burden of only 54,66,814 card holders given under the NFSA (National Food Security Act) while the state government pitches in for the 35,23,022 card holders. Over all the cards serve 2,81,41,920 family members who are enrolled in them. Of them the government of India bears the subsidy burden of 1,91,69,600 family members while the state serves 89,73,320 members in the cards issued by it.
It may be noted that of the six kg rice that the central card holders get as part of the public distribution system in Telangana, the Centre foots the bill of only five kg rice. For the financial year 2024-25, the Centre and the state together spent `9,031.68 crore towards subsidy. Of this, the central share was `4,805.07 crore. The monthly expenditure of the Union and the state government are `400.42 crore and `352.22 crore, respectively.
Officials said that the 48 lakh new ration cards that are set to be issued after identifying beneficiaries through praja palana, gram sabhas and the socio-economic survey, will be financed by the state government. The state had received 31 lakh applications during the praja palana, which are being verified at the field level. Information on the possession of ration card was also sought as part of the socio economic, education, employment, political and caste survey. Officials contended that efforts are underway to see that no eligible person is left out and there would be no duplications
The norms for issuing cards by the Centre were adopted by the state in 2014. State officials said that they had on 20/11/2023 sought an increase in NFSA beneficiaries under section 9 of the Nation Food Security Act, 2013. They said the Centre increasing the income limit for the eligibility of BPL families (priority households) for rural areas to `1.5 lakh and to `two lakh in urban areas and also the ceiling on holding of land to 3.5 acres of wetland and 7.5 acres of dry land, limits the number of beneficiaries
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Source : Deccan Chronicle
