Tue Jan 21 03:30:00 UTC 2025: ## Telangana to Distribute Ration Cards to All Eligible, Minister Announces
**Hyderabad, January 21, 2025** – Telangana Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy announced today that the state government will issue ration cards to all eligible individuals. The minister also revealed that each beneficiary will receive six kilograms of fine rice.
Reddy’s announcement comes amid criticism from opposition parties regarding the issuance of new ration cards and the addition of new members to existing ones. He strongly refuted these claims, stating that the opposition’s accusations are “malicious.” He highlighted that while the opposition claims to have issued cards to only 40,000 people in 10 years, the government aims to benefit approximately 4 million people through this initiative. This expansion, he acknowledged, will increase the state’s annual expenditure by ₹11,000 crore.
The distribution of ration cards will begin on January 26th and continue until all eligible individuals receive them, Reddy confirmed. He emphasized that Telangana is the only state in the country that provides fine rice through its Public Distribution System (PDS). He criticized the opposition for their “frivolous” criticism of a program intended to benefit society.
The minister clarified that the verification process for ration card applications will utilize data from socio-economic surveys and applications received at public service centers and gram sabhas. Reddy also addressed criticism regarding Krishna river water allocation, questioning the opposition’s role in the matter and referencing past agreements.
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