Uttam Hails Historic Welfare Push: “No State Has Done What Telangana Did Today”
▪ CM Revanth Reddy Launches 5.61 Lakh New Ration Cards in Tungathurthi
▪ Congress Ends 11-Year Wait, Puts Food Security at the Core of Governance
▪ 80% of Telangana Now Receiving Fine Rice Free of Cost
Tungathurthi (Suryapet), July 14 – In a landmark welfare move, the Telangana government on Monday launched the distribution of 5.61 lakh new ration cards in a single phase, with Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy formally initiating the program in Tirumalagiri, Tungathurthi constituency.
Speaking at a massive public meeting, Irrigation, Food & Civil Supplies Minister Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy called the initiative a “revolution in public service delivery,” and said that the Congress government had “made history” by removing long-standing hurdles to access food security.
“No other state in India has issued more than 5.6 lakh ration cards in a single phase. This is a national record. Telangana is now setting new standards in welfare delivery,” declared Uttam Kumar Reddy.
He assured that every eligible individual in the state would receive a ration card, with the process continuing until complete saturation is achieved. “This is a new Telangana. If you’re eligible, you get a card—no brokers, no bribes, no waiting lists. We are restoring dignity and ending a decade of discrimination,” he said.
11-Year Wait Ends, Fine Rice for 3 Crore People
The Congress government’s initiative marks the first large-scale issuance of ration cards in over 11 years, raising the total number of ration card-holding households in the state to 95.56 lakh, covering over 3.09 crore beneficiaries.
Minister Uttam highlighted that 80% of Telangana’s population is now receiving 6 kg of fine rice per person—completely free of cost. “This is not an election promise—it’s a moral commitment. We are feeding our people with dignity and high-quality grain,” he stated.
He emphasized that Telangana had become the first state in the world to offer such a scheme at this scale and quality.
Congress Transforms Food Security Into Reality
Uttam credited Congress leader Sonia Gandhi for the vision behind the National Food Security Act, saying, “Sonia Gandhi gave India the legal right to food. Today, the Congress government in Telangana has given that law a soul by delivering it directly to every poor family.”
He also criticized the previous BRS government for “denying lakhs of poor families their rightful food entitlements,” by freezing new card issuance and blocking member additions or deletions, causing undue suffering.
“Those days are over. The Congress government is committed to transparency, accountability, and uninterrupted service,” he asserted.
Civil Supplies Department Turned Around
Recounting the state of affairs when Congress assumed office in December 2023, Uttam said, “We inherited a broken Civil Supplies Corporation with ₹59,000 crore in liabilities and ₹11,000 crore in losses. Even the rice distributed then was of such poor quality that families couldn’t cook it.”
In just 18 months, he claimed, the Congress government has revived the department and transformed it into the backbone of India’s most ambitious welfare scheme. “Today, we are spending ₹13,000 crore annually to procure and distribute fine quality rice. This is not broken rice or leftovers—this is the kind of rice every family deserves.”
Support to Farmers and Irrigation Reforms
Uttam further revealed that the state had introduced a ₹500 per quintal bonus for farmers cultivating fine paddy. “This led to record production—281 lakh metric tonnes during the Kharif and Rabi seasons. Even the Government of India acknowledged Telangana as the top grain-producing state,” he said.
He added that the Congress government had revived the irrigation department, taking up all pending projects on a war footing and actively fighting for Telangana’s fair share in the Krishna and Godavari rivers.
“Better irrigation means better agricultural yield, which feeds directly into our Public Distribution System. That’s how the ecosystem of food security works,” he explained.
A Governance Model for the World
Summing up Telangana’s achievements, Uttam Kumar Reddy said:
“We’ve issued 5.61 lakh ration cards at once; covered 80% of the population under food security; distributed fine rice free of cost; achieved record grain output; and supported farmers with an unprecedented paddy bonus. This is not just a model for India—it’s a model for the world.”
He concluded by affirming the government’s continued commitment to inclusive development:
“This is only the beginning. Our mission is to ensure that no family sleeps hungry and no farmer feels abandoned. Telangana is showing the way forward.”
