Telangana foodgrain buffer plan aims to protect 3.42 crore PDS beneficiaries
Hyderabad: The Telangana government planned to strengthen its foodgrain reserves to protect 3.42 crore Public Distribution System (PDS) beneficiaries against possible drought, crop losses and rising food prices amid El Niño concerns.
Civil Supplies and Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy directed officials to prepare advance procurement and stock management plans during a high-level review meeting on Monday.
The meeting took place at the Minister’s chambers in the Secretariat. He instructed officials to ensure uninterrupted foodgrain supplies even if deficient rainfall affected the coming agricultural seasons. The Telangana foodgrain buffer plan aimed to maintain adequate rice stocks despite uncertainty over future harvests and market prices.
Telangana foodgrain buffer plan focuses on advance procurement
Reviewing existing rice stocks and procurement arrangements, Uttam Kumar Reddy stressed the importance of preparing for adverse seasonal conditions. He cautioned officials against depending entirely on the success of the forthcoming paddy harvest. Instead, he directed them to plan procurement and stock management well in advance.
The Minister said the government needed sufficient foodgrain reserves to meet the requirements of ration-card holders and other beneficiaries. Moreover, he emphasised that changes in agricultural production or market prices should not disrupt rice distribution under welfare programmes.
The review focused on strengthening food security arrangements before potential rainfall shortages affected agricultural output. Uttam Kumar Reddy said Telangana required approximately 2.38 lakh metric tonnes of rice every month for its public distribution and welfare programmes.
Consequently, the state’s combined annual rice requirement stood at 28.56 lakh metric tonnes. These requirements covered the Central Pool Public Distribution System, Other Welfare Schemes (OWS) and the State Pool.
In addition, the calculations included rice supplies for the Mid-Day Meal programme and other welfare initiatives. The Minister said advance planning was necessary to maintain adequate stocks for these programmes, regardless of fluctuations in agricultural production.
He also stressed the need to protect beneficiaries from possible supply disruptions caused by drought conditions and rising food prices. The Telangana foodgrain buffer plan therefore focused on ensuring sufficient procurement and reserve stocks ahead of potentially difficult agricultural seasons.