Gadwal: District Collector B M Santosh has urged all eligible beneficiaries to make the best use of the high-quality fine rice being distributed by the government.

On Wednesday, the District Collector, along with Gadwal MLA Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy, launched the prestigious fine rice distribution programme in the 35th and the 26th wards of Gadwal town. As part of the Telangana state government’s initiative to enhance food security for the poor, fine rice is being distributed free of cost as a special Ugadi festival gift.

Speaking on the occasion, the District Collector highlighted that many people have been facing difficulties consuming regular coarse rice. To address this issue, the government has undertaken the responsibility of providing high-quality fine rice free of cost to eligible families through ration shops. In Jogulamba Gadwal district alone, a total of 335 ration shops will distribute fine rice to over 1,62,000 ration cardholders, benefiting more than 5,50,000 people. Each beneficiary will receive 6 kilograms of fine rice per month.

The Collector pointed out that the government is offering this premium-quality fine rice, which costs ₹40 per kilogram in the market, completely free of charge. He advised the beneficiaries to utilize this opportunity wisely and warned against selling the rice in the black market. He also emphasized the government’s commitment to farmers’ welfare by offering a ₹500 bonus per quintal, along with the Minimum Support Price (MSP), for paddy procurement. The fine rice being distributed is directly sourced from farmers and supplied to ration shops for free distribution.

The initiative, the Collector said, is part of the government’s broader commitment to ensuring food security for the underprivileged, regardless of challenges.

Gadwal MLA Bandla Krishna Mohan Reddy recalled the late Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao’s historic decision to introduce the ₹2 per kg rice scheme to alleviate hunger among the poor. He noted that successive governments have continued rice distribution programs to support low-income families. However, the current Telangana government has taken a unique step by procuring paddy directly from farmers, converting it into rice, and distributing it entirely free of cost through ration shops.

The MLA emphasized that this initiative, which provides premium-quality fine rice worth ₹40 per kg at no cost, is a testament to the government’s commitment to public welfare. He urged beneficiaries to use the rice for their personal needs and refrain from selling it in the black market. Additionally, he announced that new ration cards would soon be distributed to all eligible citizens.

The event was attended by Additional Collector Lakshmi Narayana, Gadwal Tahsildar Mallikarjun, District Civil Supplies Officer (DCSO) Swami Kumar, ration dealers, and other public representatives.