Lockdown hits free rice distribution across Telangana

HYDERABAD: The shortage of transport vehicles and hamalies due to the Covid-19 induced lockdown has hit free distribution of rice. Though the distribution of 15 kg rice per unit to help those who have been adversely affected by the lockdown was started from Saturday across the State, only about half the shops have started distributing foodgrains. The initiative will benefit 87.42 lakh cardholders in the State.

As the majority of ration shops remained closed on Sunday, food security cardholders were agitated at many places across the State. According to sources, the department managed to ship only 30 to 40 per cent of the rice to fair price shops on Saturday. The supply increased to around 80 per cent on Sunday. 

Though Civil Supplies Corporation officials had started transporting foodgrains much earlier, the lack of storage facilities has hindered the procedure. An official connected to the Public Distribution System (PDS), on the condition of anonymity, said that there was a short supply of rice at the mandal-level stock points, due to which they were supplying only around 50 per cent of the sanctioned stock. He said that the remaining stock would be supplied to ration dealers in one or two days.