Telangana to give extra 5 kg free rice to card holders

KARIMNAGAR: Going a step beyond the Centre with regard to providing free foodgrains to the poor, the Telangana government would distribute double the quantity promised by Union government. Telangana Civil Supplies Minister Gangula Kamalakar said on Saturday the State government would distribute 10 kg of rice for free till November this year.

This would include the 5 kg promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana and 5 kg from the State government. Addressing mediapersons along with Karimnagar Mayor Y Sunil Rao, on Saturday the Civil Supplies Minister said the State government would distribute the free rice to all ration card holders, benefiting 2.79 crore people. 

The decision would cost the State’s exchequer an additional `50 crore a month as the government would provide 2.89 lakh metric tonnes of rice through the Public Distribution System (PDS). Otherwise, the quantity stands at around 1.79 lakh metric tonnes, according to official records.