Cong govt will ensure food security to poor: Uttam

Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy claimed that the Congress government was committed to ensuring food security and implementing welfare initiatives for all.
 He was speaking after launching four flagship schemes – Rythu Bharosa, Indiramma Atmeeya Bharosa, Indiramma Indlu and the issuance of new ration cards in the Praja Palana programme at Nathallagudem village in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district, on the occasion of Republic Day  on Sunday.
 Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy hailed the initiative as the largest and most comprehensive food safety and welfare programme ever undertaken by any state government in independent India. He emphasised that the Congress government has prioritised the upliftment of marginalised communities, including Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes, minorities, economically weaker sections, farmers, students and youth.
Lok Sabha member Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy, Bhuvanagiri MLA Kumbham Anil Reddy, District Collector M Hanumantha Rao, senior leaders and officials participated in the programme.
 Republic Day, marking the adoption of India’s Constitution was chosen for this historic launch to signify the Congress government’s commitment to the principles of justice, equality, and fraternity. Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, the minister said, “There are people in the world so hungry that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread,” underlining the moral responsibility of governance to address hunger. He also invoked Dr BR Ambedkar, stating, “A just society is that society in which ascending sense of reverence and descending sense of contempt is dissolved into the creation of a compassionate society,” to highlight the transformative vision of the welfare schemes.
He explained that the Congress government is not only issuing ration cards but also transforming the Public Distribution System (PDS). Currently, ration cardholders receive coarse rice, much of which is inedible and often diverted for non-consumption purposes. Once the new ration card issuance process is completed, all cardholders will receive 6 kg of high-quality fine rice per person, free of cost. The initiative, costing the state an additional Rs 11,000 crore annually, is a key component of the government’s commitment to food security. “This is not just about rice; it is about restoring dignity and ensuring nutrition for every household,” said Uttam Kumar Reddy.
The minister criticised the previous BRS government for neglecting food security, pointing out that fewer than 40,000 ration cards were issued during its decade-long rule. It was done during by-elections to cheat the voters. In contrast, the Congress government has already initiated issuing new ration cards to benefit an additional 40 lakh individuals. Beneficiaries were identified through socio-economic surveys, caste data, and applications received via Praja Palana, Praja Vani, and Mee Seva centres. If anyone is still excluded, they could apply, ensuring that no one is excluded.