Huzurnagar: In a landmark initiative aimed at ensuring food security with dignity, the Telangana government on Sunday launched the country’s first scheme to distribute fine rice (sanna biyyam) at free of cost to the poor through ration shops. The programme was formally inaugurated by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy during a public meeting held in Huzurnagar, Suryapet district, on the occasion of Ugadi.
Legislative Council Chairman Gutha Sukhender Reddy, Assembly Speaker Gadam Prasad Kumar, Cabinet ministers Komatireddy Venkatreddy Reddy, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, D Sridhar Babu and D Seethakka, MLAs including N Uttam Padmavathi, MLCs, MPs, Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari, Principal Secretary and Civil Supplies Commissioner DS Chauhan and other dignitaries were also present.
As part of the launch, CM Revanth Reddy distributed packets of fine rice to ten beneficiaries on stage. The state government will supply 6 kilograms of fine rice per person per month at free of cost through the Public Distribution System (PDS) to all eligible ration cardholders, starting April 1. The scheme is set to benefit over 3.10 crore people, accounting for nearly 85 percent of Telangana’s population, making it the largest food security programme in independent India.
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Speaking at the event, CM Revanth Reddy called the scheme “historic,” declaring that the days of the poor eating inferior rice were over. “From now on, even the poor will eat the rice that rich people eat,” he said. “We have created history by launching this scheme, and more than three crore people will now receive fine rice through the ration system.”
Revanth Reddy noted that Telangana produces around 12 lakh tonnes of fine paddy, with Nalgonda district alone contributing 8 lakh tonnes. The government had procured fine paddy during the 2024–25 Kharif season and handed it over to rice mills under the Custom Milling Rice (CMR) system. Nearly half of the milled rice has already been shifted to district warehouses, and stocks for the April quota have reached the MLS points and ration shops.
Revanth Reddy and Uttam Kumar Reddy both emphasised that coarse rice distributed earlier was rejected by beneficiaries, leading to rampant misuse. “People were selling ration rice for Rs 10 per kg, and millers were recycling it and selling it at Rs 50,” the CM said. “This black market was worth nearly Rs 10,000 crore annually. By offering fine rice, we are ensuring that the intended beneficiaries actually consume the grain and are not forced to sell it.”
Uttam Kumar Reddy added that earlier, 80–90 percent of ration rice was diverted due to its poor quality. He called the switch to fine rice a “game changer in India’s food security landscape.”
Revanth Reddy used the platform to criticise former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), saying, “The idea of giving fine rice to the poor never crossed his mind. Instead, he told farmers: ‘If you grow paddy, I will hang you.’” Revanth contrasted this with the Congress government’s support for agriculture, highlighting a Rs 500 bonus per quintal being paid for fine paddy procurement. “We are rewarding farmers. We paid Rs 1,199 crore in bonuses to 4.41 lakh farmers during the latest procurement,” he said.
The Chief Minister made it clear that the scheme is here to stay. “No future government will dare to stop the fine rice scheme. It will continue permanently, regardless of political changes,” he said, drawing applause from the crowd.
Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy detailed the broader reforms in the PDS under the Congress government. He said that at the time of Telangana’s formation, the state had 89.73 lakh ration cards, and during the 10-year BRS rule, only 49,479 new cards were issued. In contrast, the Congress government has reopened applications, issued lakhs of new cards, and started adding eligible family members to existing ones.
Currently, Telangana has about 90 lakh ration cards, covering 2.85 crore people. With pending applications being cleared, this number will rise to 1 crore cards covering 3.10 crore beneficiaries, achieving near-saturation, he said.
The newly issued ration cards will be physical, QR-code enabled cards, although they will not include electronic chips. There will be two types of colour-coded cards: – Tricolour cards for Below Poverty Line (BPL) families and Green cards for Above Poverty Line (APL) households.
Even individuals listed in the beneficiary database who don’t yet have physical cards will be entitled to receive fine rice from April 1.
To make the system more transparent and flexible, the government will allow beneficiaries to collect their ration from any fair price shop in the state, regardless of where their card was issued. This portability feature is expected to benefit migrant workers and mobile populations.
Uttam Kumar Reddy also said that the government is strengthening the network of ration dealers. Dealer commissions have been increased, and efforts are underway to expand the items they can sell, improving their livelihood and ensuring smoother delivery.
The minister said the financial burden of the scheme is substantial, but the government is committed to absorbing it. At present, the Centre and State together spend Rs 10,665 crore on the PDS, with the Centre contributing Rs 5,489.5 crore and the State Rs 5,175.5 crore. With new beneficiaries added, the cost will increase to Rs 13,523 crore, and Telangana’s share will rise to Rs 8,033 crore, an additional Rs 2,858 crore which the government is prepared to bear.
To ensure quality rice availability, the government has taken significant steps to promote the cultivation of sannarakam paddy. During the latest season, 24 lakh metric tonnes of this paddy were procured, the highest ever in Telangana’s history. Special procurement centres were established, staff were trained to identify fine paddy, and digital grain calipers were used to verify grain quality and size. Each gunny bag was separately marked to avoid mixing.
During the public meeting, Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy made two specific requests to the Chief Minister – An Agriculture College for Huzurnagar, stating that all other undivided districts in Telangana already have one and a Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya for Suryapet district, noting that a location had already been identified in Kodad.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy responded positively to both proposals and assured that steps would be taken.
Revanth Reddy paid tribute to past leaders who had supported food security. He said Congress introduced ration shops as early as 1957 and offered rice at Rs 1.90 per kg. He also acknowledged Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao (NTR) for continuing the scheme and introducing the Rs 2/kg rice policy. He lauded Sonia Gandhi for bringing in the National Food Security Act, calling her the “mother who fed the poor.”
