Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy launched the distribution of smart ration cards in Sangareddy on Saturday, saying the government was following the path of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to ensure the welfare of every section.
Before the programme, Revanth Reddy unveiled statues of former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Rajiv Gandhi in Sangareddy town. He then reached Ambedkar Stadium, where he formally launched the smart ration card distribution programme.
The Chief Minister said a smart ration card represented the dignity and food security of poor families rather than being merely a document.
He said the Congress government had established ration shops to ensure that poor people received essential commodities. Similarly, the government aimed to ensure that no poor person went hungry under its welfare-oriented administration.
Revanth Reddy said the government was supplying quality fine rice to every eligible poor family in the State. He also referred to Indiramma houses and Aarogyasri while responding to criticism from opposition parties.
He asked people to compare the welfare measures implemented by the present government with the record of previous administrations.
Smart ration cards reach 3.42 crore beneficiaries
Civil Supplies Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said the distribution of smart ration cards to eligible beneficiaries on Independence Day would remain a significant occasion in Telangana’s history.
He alleged that the previous government had not issued new ration cards for 10 years. In contrast, the present government had taken measures to provide cards to eligible poor families, he said.
The State currently has 1.06 crore ration cards covering about 3.42 crore beneficiaries, Uttam Kumar Reddy said.
Every member listed on a ration card receives six kilograms of quality fine rice free each month, he said. The Minister also clarified that issuing ration cards remained a continuous process.
Accordingly, every eligible family would receive a ration card, he said. The government would continue the process to ensure that eligible beneficiaries were covered.
Revanth Reddy also highlighted the government’s support for farmers. He said farmers were receiving 24-hour free electricity.
The government was providing a ₹500 bonus per quintal to encourage fine-grain paddy cultivation. It had also increased Rythu Bharosa support to ₹12,000 a year.
So far, ₹36,000 crore had been deposited into farmers’ accounts under Rythu Bharosa, the Chief Minister said. The government had also waived farm loans up to ₹2 lakh at a cost of ₹21,000 crore.
Over the past 32 months, the government had transferred ₹90,000 crore to farmers’ accounts against the paddy they produced, Revanth Reddy said. The total expenditure on farmers during the two-and-a-half-year period had reached ₹1.70 lakh crore, he added.
Indiramma houses, pensions and jobs among key welfare measures
Revanth Reddy said the government had sanctioned around seven lakh Indiramma houses within two years. He contrasted the initiative with earlier promises involving Indiramma and double-bedroom houses.
Construction of Indiramma houses was under way in villages across Telangana, he said. The government’s objective was to ensure that no village remained without an Indiramma house.
The Chief Minister also said the government would provide pensions to eligible single women, handloom workers and toddy tappers.
He urged eligible people to apply for pensions and assured that beneficiaries meeting the criteria would receive the benefit.
The government had filled 72,000 government posts in two-and-a-half years and issued notifications for another 10,000 posts, Revanth Reddy said.
He added that the government would identify vacancies every six months and fill them. The Chief Minister also advised unemployed youth to prepare for competitive examinations instead of being influenced by false promises.
Other welfare and employment measures outlined
Health Minister Damodar Rajanarsimha said Indira Gandhi had laid the foundation for industrial development in the region. He also credited her with playing a key role in providing house sites to poor families.
Rajanarsimha said the government aimed to strengthen one crore women economically and turn them into financially prosperous entrepreneurs. He also highlighted reforms in education and healthcare.
The Minister said the Congress government had increased the Aarogyasri coverage limit from ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh. He urged the Chief Minister to develop the Singur project in Sangareddy district as a tourism destination.
He also said the SC categorisation process had moved forward under Revanth Reddy’s leadership. The government had sanctioned 3,500 Indiramma houses for every constituency, he said.
District in-charge Minister Vivek Venkataswamy said the government was taking steps to create employment opportunities for youth.
He said authorities were working to establish technology centres equipped with advanced technology. The government was also exploring overseas employment opportunities for unemployed youth through companies such as TomTom.
The programme was attended by MP Suresh Shetkar, MLAs Sanjeeva Reddy and Naveen Yadav, SETWIN chairman Giridhar Reddy, Food Corporation chairman, former minister A. Chandrasekhar, TPCC working president Jagga Reddy, TGIIC chairperson Nirmala, district Collector Prateek Jain, district Superintendent of Police Paritosh Pankaj and other officials and public representatives.
The smart ration card distribution programme continued in Sangareddy as the government extended the process to eligible beneficiaries across the State.