The Telangana Government on Thursday informed the Assembly that it will close receipt and verification of applications for issue of food security cards on April 20 and start distribution of permanent cards after that.

Finance and Civil Supplies Minister Eatala Rajender told the House during question hour that 1.01 crore families had so far applied for cards ever since the new public distribution system of supplying Re. 1 a kg rice at 6 kgs per head came into force in the State from January 1. Except Hyderabad, the applications were received from all other districts.

The Government had distributed food security cards to 89.21 lakh families which entailed distribution of 13 lakh metric tonnes of rice per annum. However, the Government was geared up to distribute up to 22 lakh MTs of rice per annum.

Rs.2,681 crore PDS rice subsidy

Mr. Rajender also said that the 89.21 lakh cards included 80.01 lakh families that held white ration cards in the previous Government that spent Rs.1,000 crore annually on subsidised rice. However, the burden on the TRS Government was expected to be Rs.2,681 crore per annum.

The Minister also said that the State Government went ahead with implementing the Re 1 a kg rice though the Centre offered to support the scheme under the national food security Act only if 5 kgs of rice was supplied to one crore families at Rs. 3 a kg. The point was repeatedly stressed by the Centre whenever he visited New Delhi. However, the State Government stuck to its promise to supply 6 kgs of rice per head at Re 1 only.

The State Government also supplied fine rice to ninth and tenth class students of 34,000 schools and 3,000 hostels though they were not covered under the mid-day meal programme.

Congress MLA Puvvada Ajay Kumar asked the Minister if it was true that the Government had rejected 11 lakh applications for distribution of food security cards. The Minister answered that the process of receiving and verifying applications was still in process.

He expressed concern that another survey to identify BPL families eligible for food security cards was progressing basing on intensive household survey last year. It would go against migrant population who were not present in their villages on the second occasion.

Mr. T. Jeevan Reddy, also of Congress, said that only rice and sugar was supplied against ten items assured through the food security cards.