Now, 80pc of State relish free fine rice, says Uttam

Hyderabad / Suryapet: Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Monday claimed that the Congress government in Telangana has created history in the welfare journey by launching the statewide distribution of over 5.61 lakh new ration cards in a single phase.

Addressing a massive public meeting in Tirumalagiri, Tungathurthi constituency, after Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy launched the new ration cards, Uttam called the move a ‘revolution in public service delivery’. He said every eligible person would now be guaranteed a ration card, with the process continuing seamlessly until full saturation is achieved.

“This is a new Telangana. If you’re eligible, you will get a ration card. No bribes, no brokers, no waiting lists. No questions asked. We are restoring the dignity of our people and ending a decade of discrimination,” Uttam asserted.

He said the previous BRS regime had denied lakhs of poor families their right to food, not only by refusing to issue new ration cards but also by blocking updates like the addition or deletion of family members, causing severe hardships for growing households. “Those days are over. Under the Congress government, this will now be a continuous process - transparent, accountable, and people-first,” he said.

The launch marked the first large-scale ration card distribution in over 11 years, taking the total number of ration card holders to 95.56 lakh households, covering more than 3.09 crore beneficiaries. “No other state in India has issued over 5.6 lakh ration cards in a single phase. This is a national record,” Minister Uttam said.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said the ration card drive was part of a broader transformation that had made Telangana the first state in the world to provide 6 kg of fine rice per person to 80% of its population – entirely free of cost. “This is not an election promise. This is a moral commitment. We are feeding our people with dignity, with quality, and without conditions. Over three crore people now receive fine rice that is better in quality than anything ever supplied before,” he said.