Metro India News | Hyderabad 

Minister for Irrigation and Civil Supplies N. Uttam Kumar Reddy announced a revolutionary initiative by the Congress government to distribute free 'sanna biyyam' (fine rice) to impoverished families across Telangana, starting at the Ugadi festival.

The Chief Minister will officially launch the scheme at a public gathering in Huzurnagar on March 30. From April 1, all ration card holders will receive 6 kg of fine rice monthly through the Public Distribution System (PDS).

At a press conference with senior officials, the Minister described the initiative as the largest food security program in India’s history, benefiting approximately 3.10 crore people, which is about 85 percent of Telangana’s population. He emphasized that no welfare scheme in independent India has reached such a wide demographic and labelled it a model for social justice.

Uttam Kumar Reddy noted the failure of previous PDS distributions of coarse rice, which many beneficiaries rejected due to its poor quality. Consequently, 80 to 90 percent of the rice was diverted and illegally sold, resulting in an annual misuse valued at Rs 7,000 to 8,000 crore. He stated that the switch to fine rice aims to prevent pilferage, enhance consumption, and provide genuine benefits to the poor, marking a transformative change in India's food security.

Official reports reveal that Telangana had 89.73 lakh ration cards at its inception. During ten years under the BRS government, only 49,479 new cards were issued despite rising population and eligibility changes. The new Congress government has now reinitiated the process for adding eligible members and has started mass issuance of new ration cards to ensure no deserving family is overlooked.

Currently, Telangana has around 90 lakh ration cards covering approximately 2.85 crore individuals. With pending applications verified and approved, nearly 30 lakh new cards are anticipated soon, bringing the total to 1 crore cards and beneficiaries to 3.10 crore.

The new cards will feature QR codes, though they won't have chips. A decision on including the Prime Minister’s photo is pending. Notably, Tricolour cards will be issued to families Below Poverty Line (BPL), and Green cards for Above Poverty Line (APL) households.