Eatala tears TDP charge to shreds

The Minister challenges the critics to prove that raw rice can be transformed into fine rice by “mere polishing”

Hyderabad: Civil Supplies Minister Eatala Rajender has rubbished the allegations by the Telangana Telugu Desam Party that the quality of rice being supplied to the social welfare hostels and government was of inferior quality.

The Minister criticised the T TDP leaders for being ignorant of the sorry state of affairs during the time when the Congress and TDP were in power. Rebutting the charge by the T TDP leaders, Rajender asked them to clarify whether the raw rice could be transformed into fine rice by “mere polishing.” He challenged them to show how such process could be carried out.

Rajender said he had stayed in social welfare hostels during childhood and during those days rice served was just not “eatable.” “Tears used to well up in our eyes seeing the poor quality of rice,” he said. That was why after becoming Minister, he said that he put up a proposal before Chief Minister for supply of fine rice in hostels and the latter immediately agreed.

Government was spending Rs 642 crore to supply 1.92 lakh metric tonnes of fine rice to 5.39 lakh students in 3,036 welfare hostels and 29.86 lakh students in 34,319 government schools, he pointed out. Further, the Minister stated that measures are taken to curb irregularities, if any. Till now cases have been registered against 2,448 individuals, besides seizing 72 lakh metric tonne of rice.