85% Population to be Covered Under Food Security Act

Nearly 85 per cent of Telangana's population will be covered under the Food Security Act, with the state government giving approval to distribute 2.89 lakh ration cards from July 14. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy will launch the distribution of new ration cards at a public meeting at Tirumalagiri mandal in Thungathurthy Assembly constituency on that day. 

When the Congress assumed office in December 2023, the state had 89,95,282 cards, which covered 2,81,47,565 beneficiaries. Between January 26 and May 23 this year, the state government approved 2,03,156 new applications. In addition, 15,18,783 applications for the registration of extra members in existing ration cards were approved, bringing 23,90,868 new members into the list of beneficiaries.

From May 24 to June 6 this year, the government approved an additional 2,89,239 new cards, adding 9,10,349 individuals. During this period, 2,65,142 applications for the registration of additional members in existing ration cards were approved, adding 4,17,160 members the list. These will be released on July 14. In total, the Congress government has distributed 4,92,395 new ration cards since coming into power. Overall, the number of ration cards has reached 94,72,422, benefiting 3,14,56,690 individuals. This constitutes



82 per cent of all households and 85 per cent of the population.

Uttam Kumar Reddy stated that Telangana’s flagship free fine rice scheme delivers 6 kg of rice per person every month to nearly 3.1 crore people, through fair price shops, at a cost of over ₹13,000 crore annually. In June, July, and August, the state government provided three months’ worth of rations at once to ensure uninterrupted supply during the monsoon, distributing 18 kg per person, 105 kg per Antyodaya family, and 30 kg per Annapurna family. The minister noted that the previous BRS government had neglected food security and ration card enrolment. 

“At the time of Telangana’s formation in 2014, there were 89.73 lakh white ration cards, but the BRS added only around 49,000 in 10 years, mostly during by-elections, ignoring lakhs of families,” Uttam Kumar Reddy said. He said the Congress government had received lakhs of new applications which were being scrutinised and approved expeditiously. He said that the new ration card distribution is a landmark step in effective implementation of the Food Security Act and in providing relief to the poor, showing the Congress government’s commitment to equitable growth and social welfare.