- By Shibra Siddiqui
- Sat, 29 Mar 2025 12:15 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Telangana Minister for Irrigation, Food & Civil Supplies, Uttam Kumar Reddy on Friday announced that the state government will provide free fine rice to 84% of the population. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy will formally launch the ambitious scheme to distribute fine rice (sanna biyyam) on March 30 at a public meeting in Huzurnagar, coinciding with the Ugadi festival.
The scheme aims to provide food security to 3.1 crore or 84% of the population, distributing six kg of free fine rice to every individual under the scheme starting from April 1.
"Now that we have got a chance to enhance the quality, under the guidance and directions of CM Revanth Reddy, in Telangana starting Ugadi, the day after - the Telangana New Year, we are going to give free fine rice to 84% of the population in Telangana," irrigation minister Reddy said. Calling it a "historic step forward," Reddy emphasized the initiative's role in ensuring food security for vulnerable sections of society.
Reddy credited Congress leader Sonia Gandhi for introducing the Food Security Act, saying, "It was our leader Sonia Gandhi who brought in the Food Security Act. It was a very noble Act, and it is to ensure that nobody goes hungry in this country.”
Addressing concerns over ration quality under the Public Distribution System (PDS), Reddy stated, "In the many years of its implementation, Central and State Governments were giving rations but not of appropriate quality... Many times I pointed out that the ration being supplied to the poor under PDS are not of appropriate quality."
Currently, Telangana has around 90 lakh ration card that covers a significant portion of the population at 2.85 crore. Releasing around 30 lakh new ration cards, Telangana will cover 3.1 crore people of its population under the food security scheme.
