*Headline: Minister Uttam Warns Stern Action Against Ration Rice Recycling, Inspects Ration Shops* Hyderabad, Dec 25: The Irrigation, Food, and Civil Supplies Minister, Capt N Uttam Kumar Reddy, issued a stern warning against rice millers and others engaged in recycling Public Distribution System (PDS) rice, vowing severe consequences for such actions.
The minister conveyed this message during his inspection of a ration shop in Huzur Nagar on Monday, expressing deep concern over the diversion and misuse of ration rice. Currently, around 54 lakh ration cardholders in Telangana receive 5 kg of rice from the central government and an additional 1 kg from the state government.
Furthermore, the state government provides 6 kg of rice to an additional 35 lakh ration cardholders each month. Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy highlighted that despite these allocations, approximately 70-75% of ration rice is being recycled by millers and other informal entities.
“The state government takes this matter very seriously, and strict action will be taken against anyone involved in the recycling of ration rice,” warned Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy. He emphasized the Congress government’s commitment to addressing this issue and ensuring accountability.
The minister also criticized the previous government for burdening the Civil Supplies Corporation with a substantial debt of around ₹56,000 crore. He attributed this financial strain to the negligence of the previous government, leading to a loss of ₹11,000 crores for the corporation over a decade.
Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy revealed that steps would be taken to streamline the department, improve services for ration cardholders and farmers, and expedite the audit process in the corporation.
Additionally, he announced plans to explore transparent mechanisms for the public sale of rice stocks to Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The warning comes as part of the government’s efforts to curb malpractices related to PDS rice and ensure the efficient functioning of the Civil Supplies Corporation.
