Telangana govt to supply 10 kg free rice to ration card holders till December this year

Hyderabad: The State government has decided to continue distribution of 10 kg rice per person to ration card holders till December in tune with the Centre’s decision to provide 5 kg rice to beneficiaries of ration cards. This would result in an additional burden of Rs 227.25 crore on the State exchequer and benefit about […]

Hyderabad: The State government has decided to continue distribution of 10 kg rice per person to ration card holders till December in tune with the Centre’s decision to provide 5 kg rice to beneficiaries of ration cards. This would result in an additional burden of Rs 227.25 crore on the State exchequer and benefit about 2.83 crore people from 90.01 lakh families owning ration cards.

Under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), the union government is supplying 5 kg rice each to 54.37 lakh ration cards covering about 1.91 crore people. Launched first as part of the Covid-19 relief package in April 2020, the scheme has been extended multiple times.

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But in addition to the rice provided under the Centre’s PMGKAY, the State government is providing another 5 kg rice i.e. a total 10 kg rice per person. Further, it is providing total 10 kg rice to another 35.64 lakh ration cards covering 91.72 lakh people in the State.

In a statement, Civil Supplies Minister Gangula Kamalakar said the State government has spent about Rs 2,454 crore to provide free rice to the ration card holders since April 2020. For next three months, about 19,057 lakh tonnes of rice will be distributed on behalf of the State government at an additional expenditure of Rs 227.25 crore.