Wheat flour, pulses may join ration list

Hyderabad: Civil Supplies and Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy reviewed proposals to distribute wheat flour and other essential commodities through ration shops to ease the burden of rising prices on poor families.

Items under consideration include wheat flour, pigeon peas (kandipappu), palm oil, sugar, tamarind and chilli powder. Officials presented cost estimates for various distribution models, including supplies at subsidised rates.

Uttam Kumar Reddy directed the department to assess beneficiary requirements, procurement arrangements and the financial implications for the government. He said a final decision would be taken after officials submitted a comprehensive proposal.

The minister also directed officials to prepare a comprehensive food security plan to safeguard supplies for 3.42 crore Public Distribution System (PDS) beneficiaries amid concerns over possible rainfall deficits, crop losses and rising food prices due to the El Niño phenomenon.

At a review meeting with senior Civil Supplies Department officials at the Secretariat on Monday, the minister stressed the need to strengthen food grain reserves and ensure uninterrupted ration supplies, irrespective of the outcome of the upcoming agricultural seasons.

He directed officials to prepare an advance action plan for rice procurement and stock management rather than depending solely on the next paddy harvest.

Officials informed the meeting that the state requires approximately 2.38 lakh metric tonnes of rice every month to meet the needs of the PDS, welfare schemes and state programmes such as the mid-day meal scheme. The annual requirement is estimated at 28.56 lakh metric tonnes.

As of October 16, 2026, the state had 9.64 lakh metric tonnes of rice in its buffer warehouses, including 3.50 lakh metric tonnes under the Central pool and other welfare schemes and 6.14 lakh metric tonnes under the state pool.

Another 18.39 lakh metric tonnes is expected through pending Custom Milled Rice (CMR) deliveries and other identified sources. The combined availability is projected to reach 28.03 lakh metric tonnes, sufficient to meet requirements for approximately 11.7 months, until September 2027.

Uttam Kumar Reddy instructed officials to ensure that millers deliver the outstanding rice stocks to government warehouses within the stipulated deadlines. He said food security must be protected even if natural calamities affect future crops.

Civil Supplies Commissioner Stephen Ravindra and other senior officials attended the meeting.

•Telangana eyes wider ration basket for poor

•Govt weighs subsidised supply of six essentials

•Uttam plans 14-month food security strategy

•El Niño threat prompts food security push

•28.03 lakh tonnes of rice projected till September 2027

•More essentials may reach ration shops

•Uttam focuses on food security for 3.42 crore beneficiaries

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The Hans India