Many beneficiaries denied financial aid, rice says Telangana Congress

Hyderabad: Telangana Congress on Sunday alleged that the government denied rice and financial assistance to lakhs of poor people across the State on various pretexts.

In a second open letter to the Chief Minister on the issues of lockdown, Congress said that on March 22 the State government had announced that it would supply free 12 kg rice and Rs 1,500 to each of the 87.59 lakh white ration card holders in the State.

However, some of these ration card holders were denied the rice saying that their cards have been cancelled due to non-drawal of rations for three months.

The Congress leaders said that all such cards should be immediately restored and rice be supplied to them immediately by making an announcement to that effect.

The letter was signed by TPCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy, CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka and TPCC Covid-19 Task Force chairman Marri Shashidhar Reddy.

Uttam Kumar Reddy pointed out that there were two other categories of poor people who are not part of the above 87.59 lakh card holders.

"Firstly, there are about 18 lakh pending applications from eligible people for white ration cards, which were cancelled in the past. They should be immediately given ration cards and not be denied rations during these difficult days.

Secondly, there is another category of about 4.5 lakh poor people who neither have cards nor have any pending applications. These people should also not be excluded," he said.

He said that in the PM Relief Package a quantity of 5 kg rice and 1 kg dal was promised to all ration card holders for three months.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her press conference held on March 26, clearly stated that 5 kg rice and 1 kg dal was in addition to the subsidised ration already being given. This has not been distributed to the beneficiaries in Telangana so far.

The TPCC chief said that the PM Relief Package included the supply of one gas cylinder per month for 3 months totally free of cost to the 'Ujwala' beneficiaries.

"While there are only about 10.75 lakh Ujwala beneficiaries in Telangana, there are about 104 lakh Deepam beneficiaries who are not getting this benefit," he pointed out.