Last Update: January 13, 2023, 10:44 AM IST
The action parallels the federal government’s decision to extend the free distribution of 5 kg of rice under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
The Telangana government is providing additional kg of rice to these recipients in addition to the 5 kg rice provided through NFSA.
Telangana government will provide 5 kg free rice to about 9.1 million persons living below the poverty line. As per the instructions of the state government, the free rice ration scheme will continue for the next three months. State Civil Supplies Commissioner Anil Kumar issued instructions to this effect on Thursday. According to a top official of the department on the condition of anonymity, “The supply of free rice to BPL consumers will start from Saturday.”
The action parallels the federal government’s decision to extend the free distribution of 5 kg of rice under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). Currently, the central government provides 5 kg of rice per month to each of Telangana’s 1.91 million BPL consumers, including 17.6 million NFS cardholders and 155,500 Antyodaya Anna Yojana cardholders. The Centre’s recent guidelines state that the free rice supply program will run till December this year.
The Telangana government is providing an additional kilogram of rice to these recipients in addition to the 5 kg rice being provided by the Centre, so a total of six kg rice is given to each consumer every month at no cost.
The Telangana administration has decided to provide free rice to 91.69 lakh beneficiaries recognized as BPL buyers in the state from this month. According to the official cited above, it will not even charge a minimum payment of Re 1 per kg.
However, the state government has stipulated that all these persons will receive five kilograms of rice free of cost instead of six kilograms under both the central government and state government initiatives.
As a result, recipients of the National Food Security Act, also known as Antyodaya Anna Yojana, will get the same five kilograms of rice as the Center without getting anything extra from the state. Similarly, PDS recipients in the state will get five kilograms of rice free of cost instead of six kilograms, the official continued.
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