Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy will distribute five lakh new ration cards on July 14 at Tirumalagiri in Tungaturthi constituency, Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy announced on Friday. The launch will be held during a public meeting attended by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and cabinet colleagues.
The initiative will expand coverage under the state’s public distribution system to 3.10 crore individuals, spread across 94.72 lakh families. Each cardholder will receive 6 kg of fine rice per person per month, free of cost.
Addressing Congress leaders at a preparatory meeting, Uttam said the Congress government had made ration card issuance a routine administrative process, unlike previous regimes that issued them selectively during elections. He accused the former BRS government of failing to issue new cards or update existing ones over the past decade.
Uttam highlighted that the Congress government is spending ₹13,000 crore annually on the fine rice scheme, with improved grain quality. A ₹500 per quintal bonus to fine-rice farmers contributed to record grain output of 281 lakh metric tonnes in recent seasons.
He linked the ration card drive to broader social justice measures, including a 42% quota for Backward Classes in local body polls. Telangana is the first state in the country to conduct a caste census in nearly 100 years. The enumeration, led by 1.04 lakh surveyors, will inform job notifications and welfare targeting.
The July 14 launch will take place in Uttam’s home constituency, where he said earlier rice distribution drives were also initiated. He credited Congress president Sonia Gandhi for the underlying vision of food security, formalised under the National Food Security Act.
The minister also reviewed logistical arrangements with Tungaturthi MLA Mandula Samuel and Congress leaders. He said the region, known for its legacy in the Telangana Armed Struggle, would see expanded development in infrastructure and education.
Uttam reiterated that the Congress government would implement all six guarantees and said the upcoming distribution marks a milestone in Telangana’s welfare history.
