Hyderabad: Buoyedby the ‘success’ of sanna biyyam scheme, which touched 95% of the distribution for 3-months ration (June, July and August), the Congress party is making all out effort to encash it now. The scheme is being highlighted as part of a campaign for upcoming local body polls, even as the number of beneficiaries receiving ration in the state has reached 3.14 crore.

According to party sources, despite the financial crunch faced during the implementation of six guarantees, the distribution of sanna biyyam has brought accolades to the present Congress government. The party leaders are planning to use this as a campaign to win a large number of sarpanches and MPPs in the elections. It is being predicted that the state government’s bold decision to introduce the Sanna Biyyam scheme remains the most popular scheme to encash in the local body elections.

While the state’s share was Rs 5,175 crore annually during the supply of coarse rice, another Rs 3,000 crore of additional burden was incurred with Sanna Biyyam. In the first week of April, the Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy launched the Sanna Biyyam scheme in Huzurnagar constituency.

Later, when the Center announced that the beneficiaries would be given rice for 3-months at a time, it further benefited the Congress government.

The number of beneficiaries receiving ration in the state has reached 3.14 crore. In the previous government, there were only 2.84 crore beneficiaries, while there were 91 lakh cards. After the Congress government came to power, it immediately started accepting applications for new ration cards and selected the eligible. 10 lakh applications were received for new ration cards and 16 lakh applications for adding family members. With such a large number of beneficiaries, Congress leaders are calculating that if at least 70 percent of them support the Congress party in the local elections, this would ensure a win of 25 to 28 chairmen for 32 Zilla Parishads.

The partymen are also campaigning against BRS, emphasising that the pink party has never been serious about the PDS and failed even to issue new ration cards during its ten years of rule.

In contrast Congress government has accepted new applications and granting 2.50 lakh people new cards after assuming power. With the overwhelming response from the people, the ruling party leaders in the villages are highlighting the Sanna Biyyam scheme to the voters. As part of the campaign they are also promising that if the party wins the local body elections, the State government will introduce more welfare schemes.