Telangana: Three-Month Ration rice likely to be distributed in one month

In response to the rising heat wave, the central government has announced a major initiative to help ration beneficiaries during the scorching summer months. It has advised states to distribute three months’ worth of supplies at once, aiming to prevent the poor from suffering while queuing in the intense sun.

Temperatures are already being recorded in the first week of March, and the Meteorological Department has warned that the heat is expected to intensify further in April, May, and June. In light of this, the civil supplies department has written to states urging them to supply three months of rice in April, ensuring beneficiaries do not have to visit ration shops repeatedly.

In Telangana, the Congress-led government under Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is already providing 6 kg of 'sannabiyyam' per month to beneficiaries. The state has over one crore ration cardholders. Following the Centre’s instructions, officials are reviewing rice stocks and transportation arrangements to facilitate the three-month quota.

While the move is expected to cut transportation costs, officials anticipate some challenges in implementation. Beneficiaries are required to authenticate their identity three times to receive the quota, with server issues causing delays of 15 to 20 minutes per card. This has created difficulties for dealers, who also face space constraints in storing three months’ supplies at once.

Last year’s attempt to distribute a three-month quota during the monsoon faced significant issues for both beneficiaries and dealers. Authorities are now working to address these problems, with official guidelines expected to be issued by the Telangana government soon.