The initiative to provide fine rice to families holding ration cards would cover 89.9 lakh families in Telangana. The image is used for representative purposes only.
| Photo Credit: RAMAKRISHNA G

Telangana Government has decided to supply fine rice to the families availing of rice from the public distribution system (PDS) outlets, ration shops, from Ugadi [March 30].

Scheme envisages coverage of families identified for issuance of new cards

Fine rice will be given at six kgs per head every month for the family members with the ration cards. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy will formally launch the new initiative on Ugadi day and it will benefit 89.9 lakh families across the State having ration cards. Termed as a “revolutionary step” by Civil Supplies and Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, the scheme also envisages coverage of families that have been identified for issuance of new ration cards in the coming days.

PDS rice diversion

The initiative, Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy said, had been conceived as the coarse rice supplied through the PDS outlets was not being consumed by the beneficiaries. As a result, huge quantity of rice was being diverted to other States.

Initiative to cover 84% population

“There is huge diversion of PDS rice as it is not consumed here while the government spends around ₹7,000 crore on the scheme every year,” he said adding the government’s initiative would be the first-of-its-kind in the country as it will cover 84% of the population.

The Minister told the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday (March 26, 2025) that the government was considering ways and measures to improve lives of ration dealers and a policy in this direction would be put in place soon. “The process for supplying commodities other than rice through PDS outlets will be set in motion shortly,” he said replying to the concern expressed by BJP member Palvai Harish.