Hyderabad: Civil Supply Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said Thursday that the Congressional government should fully commend the historic and transformative launch of “Sanna Biyyam” (free rice distribution program), calling it a landmark moment in India’s welfare history. He said nearly 310 million people, about 84% of Telangana’s population, would benefit from the program.
He dismissed criticism from the BJP and BRS, clarifying that the centre only provides 5 kilograms of coarse rice, while the Congressional government’s annual cost of each beneficiary in Telangana is more than Rs 1.3 crore.
During a video conference with Jala Soudha with MPS, MLC, MLAS, Uttam Kumar Reddy, the plan is being implemented by the Ministry of Civil Supply across the state, and is undoubtedly an initiative of the Congressional government. He said it was commendable for misleading the center because it was just a donation to coarse rice. However, the state government is purchasing and distributing high-quality high-quality rice.
The minister said this is a very proud question and a real example of social justice. Independent India has no welfare scheme to reach such a large population. He added that the decision to make the fine rice is made after several studies have shown that the rough varieties given above are left or sold in the black market. He said the program was historic in scale and spirit and described it as a transformative transformation in welfare delivery.
Uttam Kumar Reddy informed that the government will allocate 3 million tons of high-quality rice every year, and the cost of the plan is about Rs 135,23 crore per year.
Currently, the Centre and the State jointly spend Rs 10,665 crore in public distribution. As beneficiaries expand, this cost will increase by nearly Rs 28,580 crore, bringing Telangana’s share to Rs 80,33 crore. He said the government is fully prepared to take on this burden to ensure food security for all.
To manage this scale, the government has begun physical verification of the new ration card application. Collectors are instructed to ensure that no qualified families are left out. The three-color card will be issued to families below the poverty line, and the card above the poverty line will receive a green card.
The minister said Telangana had 8.973 million white ration cards during the state period. In the decade of the BRS rules, only 49,479 net new cards have been issued. There is no serious effort to add new members to existing cards. Under the leadership of the Congressional administration, nearly 3 million new applications have been received and are in progress. After verification, these new cards will increase the number of beneficiaries to 3.1 billion.
Uttam Kumar Reddy denied opposition claims against rice shortages. He urged Congress leaders to communicate this message to every family, eat in the homes of poor beneficiaries, and oppose misinformation made by BRS leaders.
Uttam Kumar Reddy also announced that Telangana has achieved record rice making in 2024-25. During the Vanakalam (Kharif) season, Paddy was planted on 6.678 million acres of land, generating 15.35 million tons. During the Yasangi (Rabi) season, planting was carried out on 5.649 million acres of land, producing 12.75 million tons. This brings the total area of sowing to 12.327 million acres and the total output reaches 2.81 million tons, the highest in the history of Telangana and even undivided Andhra Pradesh.
He said the achievement is even more noteworthy considering that the Kaleshwaram project is not yet in operation.
