Telangana government considering to provide fresh ration cards to poor

Hyderabad: BC Welfare and Civil Supplies Minister Gangula Kamalakar on Thursday stated that the State government will consider providing fresh ration cards to the poor soon.

He stated that the Telangana government has issued 35 lakh ration cards in addition to 53 lakh ration cards provided by the union government under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

Replying to the discussion on Civil Supplies and Backward Classes Welfare in the Assembly, the Minister said while the Central government has recognised around 1.9 crore people as poor and providing ration, the State government's ration cards cover around 95 lakh people.

Further, the Centre supplies 5 kg of rice per person at Rs 3 per kg. However, the State government has subsidised it further and supplies 6 kg of rice per person at just Rs 1 per kg for all the 88 lakh ration card holders.

Kamalakar announced that digital classrooms have been launched in all the 281 BC Welfare Residential Educational Institutions where about 108 meritorious students were being trained specially by a faculty team from Harvard University through e-learning.

He said 16 new degree colleges will be established under the BC Welfare Department in addition to the existing three degree colleges in the State.