No plans to reduce Food Security Cards: Eatala
Hyderabad, March 12 (INN): Finance and Civil Supplies Minister Eatala Rajender has made it clear that the Telangana Government was not planning to reduce the number of Food Security Cards in the State.
Replying to a question raised by MIM floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi and other legislators during Question Hour in Telangana Legislative Assembly on Saturday, the minister informed that before the formation of Telangana State in June 2014, there were 80.09 lakh White Ration Cards and 2.24 crore beneficiaries. During the last 21 months, the State Government has issued 89.47 lakh Food Security Cards benefiting 2.81 crore eligible persons. He assured to conduct a meeting with the legislators of Hyderabad after March 20 to review the issue of Food Security Cards.
The minister assured that the Telangana Government would not deprive any eligible person from getting Food Security Card. He said that the government has increased the income limit for eligibility in rural areas from Rs. 60,000 to Rs. 1.5 lakh while it has been raised from Rs. 75,000 to Rs. 2 lakh in urban areas. He said the eligible families could apply for the card anytime.
Eatala said that the Centre has allocated rice for only 47 lakh Food Security Cards. He said so far he met Union Civil Supplies Minister Ram Vilas Paswan six times seeking increase in rice quota for Telangana. However, the Centre is yet to respond on his request. He said while the Centre provides subsidies rice for Rs. 3 per kg, the State Government supplies it for Re. 1 per kg. He said that the State Government was spending Rs. 7,200 crore to supply subsidised rice and other food items.
The minister also informed that of 93,512 applications received in Circle-I of Hyderabad, 9958 have been rejected. Similarly, 17,578 out of 122,788 applications were rejected in Circle-II. He said a decision is yet to be taken on pending 68,000 applications. He informed that nearly 24 lakh bogus ration cards have been weeded out of Telangana State so far. He also announced that 5 kgs of wheat would also be supplied to Food Security Card holders from this month onwards.
News Posted: 12 March, 2016
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