CM launches new ration cards; 80% of Telangana now gets free fine rice

The Telangana government created history in its welfare journey, launching the Statewide distribution of over 5.61 lakh new ration cards in a single phase on Monday, with Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy along with his Cabinet colleagues launching it in Tungaturthy in Suryapet district.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Reddy said his government is determined to restore the self-respect of the poor through schemes like ration cards, farmers’ insurance and loan waivers. He said 5.6 lakh new ration cards are sanctioned, 26 lakh people were added to the ration system and 3.10 crore people were receiving fine rice. He also promised to bring Godavari waters to the Tungaturthy through Devdula project.

Food and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy called the move a ‘revolution in public service delivery’ and every eligible person would now be guaranteed a ration card. He said the BRS regime had denied lakhs of poor families their right to food, not only by refusing to issue new ration cards but also by blocking updates like the addition or deletion of family members, causing severe hardships for growing households.

The launch marked the first large-scale ration card distribution in over 11 years, taking the total number of ration card holders to 95.56 lakh households, covering more than 3.09 crore beneficiaries, he said.

Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy said the ration card drive was part of a broader transformation that had made Telangana the first State in the world to provide 6 kg of fine rice per person to 80% of its population, entirely free of cost.

The Minister said the scheme represented true welfare, inspired by the vision of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, under whose leadership the UPA government had passed the National Food Security Act.

Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy revealed that the Telangana government was now spending ₹13,000 crore annually to procure and distribute fine rice. No other State offers this level of quality grain free of cost.

He also blamed the BRS government stating the Civil Supplies Corporation was crippled with ₹59,000 crore in liabilities and ₹11,000 crore in accumulated losses. The Congress government had not only revived the department but turned it into the engine of India’s most ambitious welfare programme.