Ration Card: Telangana Government Plans Big Changes – Minister Uttam Gives Clarity
Hyderabad, 11 April (www.deccanlive.com): The Telangana government is ready to make major changes to the ration card system. Civil Supplies Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the government will issue three-color ration cards for BPL (Below Poverty Line) families and green-colored ration cards for APL (Above Poverty Line) families.
He mentioned that tenders have already been invited for printing the new cards and they will be distributed soon.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said that 84% of the people in Telangana are receiving fine rice, and called it one of the major welfare programs in the country. While the central government gives 5 kg of coarse rice per person per month, the Telangana government is giving 6 kg of fine rice for free, spending around ₹13,000 crore for it.
He added that earlier, 80-90% of the rice was being misused, but now 100% of the fine rice is reaching the poor. The minister said the government sees giving rice worth ₹40 for free as a social responsibility.
8,209 Paddy Collection Centers Planned
Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy said that 2,573 paddy collection centers have been opened so far in the state, and the government plans to set up a total of 8,209 centers. He made it clear that paddy with more than 17% moisture will not be purchased. He also said that 30 lakh tonnes of paddy has been kept ready for the distribution of fine rice.
Ration Card Applications to Speed Up
The Minister said that 2.81 crore people in the state are currently receiving ration rice. Once the verification of new ration card applications is completed, this number may increase to 3.10 crore. He mentioned that distribution in Hyderabad was stopped temporarily due to lack of permission from the Election Commission, and it will resume after the elections.
