Ugadi gift: Telangana to launch free rice distribution scheme on Mar 30; 3 crore people to benefit

Hyderabad: Telangana government will launch a free fine rice distribution scheme on Ugadi, which falls on March 30.

Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister Capt N Uttam Kumar Reddy said Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy will inaugurate the scheme, which will provide fine-quality rice free of cost to over 3 crore people, covering nearly 84% of Telangana’s population.

6 kg of fine rice

Calling it the biggest-ever food security initiative in independent India, Uttam Kumar Reddy said each individual would receive 6 kg of fine rice per month through the Public Distribution System (PDS).

The scheme replaces coarse grains that were previously distributed, 80–90% of which were not even edible. “Most beneficiaries did not consume the earlier PDS rice, leading to large-scale diversion and misuse. Government supplies worth Rs 7,000–8,000 crore were being siphoned off annually. It had almost turned into a mafia,” he said.

Genuine beneficiaries added

He criticised the previous BRS regime for failing to improve the PDS system and misleading the public with false claims of new ration card distribution. “Between 2014 and 2023, they made token additions only during by-elections. We are now adding lakhs of genuine beneficiaries,” he said.

As part of the overhaul, the government has begun issuing new ration cards. Families with pending applications or new members will also receive rice. Cards will be colour-coded — Tricolour for BPL and Green for APL — and cardholders will now be able to collect their ration from any fair price shop in the state under the portable ration facility.

To support ration dealers, the government has already increased their commission and is planning to add more essential commodities to their inventory this year to boost their income. “We will strengthen their business and livelihood,” he said.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said Telangana’s fine rice cultivation has jumped from 25 lakh acres to 40 lakh acres, following a Rs 500 bonus per quintal for fine variety procurement. He also confirmed that Rs 1,199 crore in procurement bonuses has already been paid to farmers, and the pending Rs 37 crore will be cleared in the next two days.

He asserted that Telangana achieved record paddy production of 153 lakh metric tonnes across 66.77 lakh acres in Kharif 2024, the highest ever in the history of both Telangana and undivided Andhra Pradesh. “Figures don’t lie. The state is making history,” he said.

The minister affirmed the government’s commitment to dignified food access. “We are not here to make excuses. We are here to deliver results — clean ration, clean systems, and a clean conscience,” he said.