Fine rice scheme a game-changer in food security: Uttam, Mahesh

Hyderabad: State Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister Capt N Uttam Kumar Reddy and TPCC President M Mahesh Kumar Goud described the fine rice distribution scheme for the poor as a ‘game changer’ in food security and welfare.

The leaders said Telangana was setting a national benchmark with the move. They praised the overwhelming public response and reiterated that the scheme, launched by the Congress Government, was here to stay and could not be undone by any future regime.

On Friday, Uttam and Goud held a high-level Zoom meeting with senior Congress leaders to review the implementation of Telangana’s flagship free fine rice distribution scheme and the ongoing Rabi crop procurement process.

The Minister informed the participants that the Rabi harvest had been completed in several districts and was nearing completion in others. Procurement centres were being opened across all districts, and necessary instructions had already been issued to District Collectors to ensure smooth procurement operations.

He pointed out that neither BJP nor BRS had ever distributed fine rice. “They gave substandard rice to 2.8 crore people and spent Rs 10,000 crore. We are now spending over Rs 13,000 crore to serve fine rice to 3.10 crore beneficiaries. That’s the scale of our commitment,” he said.

Referring to past complaints about the poor quality of rice, Uttam said the earlier rice was often so inferior that many families had stopped consuming it. “Our government brought in a revolutionary change. Yes, it costs more, but we are proud to spend more to fill the stomachs of the poorest with dignity and quality food,” he remarked.

Mahesh Kumar Goud pointed out that Telangana had become the first state in the country to distribute fine rice through ration shops, and this had begun during the festive seasons of Ugadi and Ramzan, adding symbolic and emotional value to the initiative.