Telangana: Uttam calls fine rice scheme a model of social justice
elangana’s free fine rice scheme, touted as India’s largest food security initiative, will benefit 3.1 crore people, or 85% of the state’s population. Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy called it a game-changer replacing coarse rice to curb misuse. CM Revanth Reddy will lunch with a beneficiary on April 6. The state will also begin issuing new ration cards post-verification.
Hyderabad: Irrigation and civil supplies minister N on Friday said the free fine rice scheme was receiving a huge response from the people and termed it the largest food security initiative in the country.
Speaking during a video conference conducted by Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari with all the district collectors, Uttam said Chief Minister Revanth Reddy will have lunch with a beneficiary of the scheme in Bhadrachalam on April 6.
Asking the ministers, MPs, MLCs, MLAs, and other public representatives to visit fair price shops and take part in rice distribution drive, Uttam urged them to eat fine rice meals with beneficiaries to show their involvement and build trust. “This is not just a scheme. It’s a transformational step. Let’s implement it honestly, transparently, and with full commitment,” the minister said.
“Nearly 85% of the state’s population would benefit from this scheme. There should be no delay or irregularity in rice supply. Stringent action will be taken if there are any malpractices. Ensure proper monitoring, smooth transport, and full involvement of public representatives,” he told the officials.
The minister recalled that the previous BRS government distributed coarse rice to the poor. Though the govt spent Rs10,665 crore every year on it, the rice remained unused. Most of it, the minister claimed, was diverted and sold in the black market.
“Rice worth Rs 7,000 to Rs 8,000 crore was misused every year. After a detailed study and several meetings with Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, we decided to replace coarse rice with fine rice. This is a game-changer. It prevents misuse and provides real benefit to the poor,” he further said.
Calling the scheme a model of social justice, the minister said 3.10 crore people – around 85% of Telangana’s population — would benefit from the scheme. “No welfare scheme in any state in independent India ever reached such a large share of the population. In my political career, I’ve never seen a programme of this scale,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Chief Secretary directed district Collectors to counter false propaganda about the scheme. She asked them to share correct and factual information and highlight the success of the programme.
Ration cards
Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy said the govt would soon begin physical distribution of ration cards. While a ‘tricolour card’ would be issued to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families, ‘green gard’ would be issued for those Above Poverty Line (APL). He instructed collectors to carry out perfect verification to ensure no eligible person was left out.
He said that Telangana had 89.73 lakh ration cards at the time of state formation. “But in 10 years of BRS rule, only 49,479 new cards were issued. No effort was made to add new members,” he said and added that under the Congress govt, new cards are being processed on a large scale.
As of now, Telangana has around 90 lakh ration cards covering 2.85 crore people. Nearly 30 lakh more cards are expected to be issued soon after verification, taking the total number to over 1 crore and the total beneficiaries to 3.10 crore. “We will go up to saturation level. No eligible family will be left out,” Uttam Kumar Reddy said.
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Source : The Times Of India
