Fine Rice for All Ration Card Holders in Telangana

Civil supplies minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy announced that fine rice would be distributed to all ration card holders from January as a ‘New Year gift’, a key election promise of the Congress government. Reddy stressed the importance of delivering the best quality rice to consumers. 

He also directed officials to supply wheat at subsidised prices wherever needed. Addressing a state-level vigilance committee meeting here on Thursday, the minister issued a stern warning to fair price shops and their dealers against diverting rice earmarked for the public distribution system (PDS). He called for cancellation of dealerships to such violators.

He said that the government was addressing the grievances of ration dealers and providing them with incentives. Meanwhile, revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, who was present at the meeting, raised concerns about the poor quality and insufficient quantity of rice being supplied under



the mid-day meal scheme. In response, Uttam Reddy directed officials to address these issues on a priority basis. He wanted special focus on the rice being supplied to residential schools, hostels and anganwadi centres.

Uttam Reddy expressed concerns at the quality of fortified rice and instructed officials to carry out checks to ensure that the beneficiaries receive the designated quantity and best quality. The minister asked officials to explore the possibility of increasing the number of Antyodaya cards in the state. 

He was told that as the demand for kerosene had dropped, its allocation was discontinued in June. Uttam Reddy enquired about the 1,629 vacancies in fair price shops and urged officials to fill these positions promptly. Civil supplies commissioner D.S. Chauhan assured the minister that he would provide a detailed report on various issues in the next 10 days.