BPL cards will be in tricolour and APL cards in green colour, Uttam said
Nizamabad: Minister of irrigation, food and civil supplies N.Uttam Kumar Reddy said that new ration (food security) cards will be issued to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Above Poverty Line (APL) families soon. BPL cards will be in tricolour and APL cards in green colour, he explained. Previous BRS government utterly neglected issuing new ration cards, but the Congress government will consider it as ‘continuous process’, he said.
Congress party former president Sonia Gandhi aimed to provide food for all and ensured it with free fine quality rice through fair price shops, he said. In an exclusive interview with Deccan Chronicle, minister Uttam Kumar Reddy explained the state government policies on civil supplies and irrigation sectors.
Q: Rs 2 per kg rice scheme is popular in united Andhra Pradesh as then Chief Minister N.T.Rama Rao introduced it. After this, free fine quality rice supply through fair price shops in Telangana became popular. What is the inspiration to provide unlimited free rice to the poor people through FP shops?
A: As per Congress election manifesto we started fine quality rice through FP shops. Chief Minister A.Revanth Reddy, deputy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and cabinet took collective responsibility to implement it. Procurement of fine variety paddy and providing Rs 500 bonus to the farmers yielded good results. Cultivation time is more and yield is less in fine variety paddy cultivation, but it boosts up the public distribution system. The Food security Act is the brainchild of Sonia Gandhi. Telangana government is first in the country to make it a reality.
Q: In a changed lifestyle nuclear families are increasing. It is easy to get a Passport for foreign trip, but getting a new ration card is becoming a tough task. When will it be realised in the state?
A: Yes, Ration card is a basic necessity for the common man. 10 years BRS regime is a dark phase for new ration cards. Prior to issuing new physical ration cards, district collectors can add eligible new members to the existing ration cards for supply of rice. Transparently, new ration cards will be issued as a continuous process.
Q: Earlier, white ration cards for Below Poverty Line (BPL) families and pink colour ration cards for Above Poverty Line (APL) families issued and supplied essential commodities like rice, sugar, kerosene, palm oil and others. Are there any proposals to issue both category cards?
A: Tricolour cards for BPL families and Green colour cards for APL families will be issued soon. After logistic exercise, 30 lakh metric tonnes (MT) rice was supplied through 17,000 FP shops for 3.1 lakh people in the state. 84 percent of people in the state are getting benefits of the public distribution system, which is a true welfare scheme of the state government.
Q: When the Rs 2 per kg rice scheme was introduced by NTR in 1983, in open market rice price was around Rs 10. After 40 years, the state government is supplying rice at free of cost. Presently, common variety rice is available in the market for Rs 50 per kg. Does it show an increase in poverty or any logic behind this?
A: Sonia Gandhi strongly believed in the stomach of food for the majority people of the society. Being a historic step, we introduced free fine quality rice through FP shops. Common variety rice supply is led to misappropriation by few ration cardholders, FP shop dealers and officials. Fine quality rice supply will meet the food security aim. Rs 10,650 crore spent for the rice supply.
Q: Hundreds of crores rupees misused in the rice supply scheme as few rice millers, primary agriculture cooperative societies and officials engaged in the irregularities. What stern action will be taken in this regard?
A: Rs 60 plus worth fine quality rice supplied through FP shops and 100 percent ration cardholders will avail it. 100 percent utilisation will definitely root out the irregularities in the free rice scheme. We are more conscious in the implementation of the free rice scheme. Within 15 months, the state government had proved its sincerity towards peoples’ welfare. We will not spare any official to take part in the irregularities.
Q: Small and medium contractors system disappeared in the irrigation department. Only corporate companies are dealing with all the work. High irregularities in irrigation department works led to heavy loss to present and future generations. What initiative will be taken in this regard?
A: We will strengthen the Quality Control wing to find out the irregularities in the irrigation department. Allocation of water from rivers Godavari and Krishna will be taken up consciously. Maximum benefits will be initiated from limited water resources with sincerity and integrity.
Q: What are the interstate relations in river water sharing by Telangana government?
A: We are maintaining careful relations with the neighbouring Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh states. To protect the interest of Telangana people, we are regularly approaching tribunals on water issues.
