Metro India News | Khammam 

Telangana is the only State in India providing fine rice to the poor, said Minister for Agriculture Tummala Nageswara Rao. As part of the State government's ambitious fine rice distribution programme, the Minister, along with  Police Commissioner Sunil Dutt and district in-charge Collector Dr. P. Sreeja had lunch at the home of beneficiary, Gudibandla Raja Rao, in Budidampadu village of Raghunathapalem mandal in Khammam district on Saturday.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao said that during the previous BRS government, coarse rice was often left unused or sold in the black market. Beneficiaries, unable to consume the poor-quality coarse rice, were driven to sell it for Rs. 10 per kg and use their earnings from labour to buy fine rice instead. He emphasized that now, all white ration cardholders are contentedly enjoying the fine rice provided by the Congress government.

The State government is acquiring fine variety of paddy from farmers at a support price of Rs 500 per quintal. With the bonus offered by the State government, the cultivation of this premium variety of paddy in Telangana has increased from 20 percent to 80 percent, he said.