CM KCR intends no one in the State to go hungry: Kamalakar

Karimnagar: The Civil Supplies Minister, Gangula Kamalakar has directed the officials to expedite the verification of ration card applications and issue ration cards to all those who are eligible.

The Minister on Friday held a video conference with all District Collectors from Karimnagar on the issuance of ration cards and on paddy procurement in 'rabi' season. Speaking on the occasion, he said the Chief Minister, K Chandrashekhar Rao intends that no one in the State should go hungry.

As directed by the State Cabinet Sub-Committee, the verification of pending applications and submission of the list of the eligible beneficiaries should be completed within a week Kamalakar directed.

The Collectors must ensure verification of the details of 11,67,827 beneficiaries of 4,15,901 applications for sanction of ration cards by revenue and municipal staff at field level.

The government was planning to issue smart cards soon in the place of ration cards. The dealer's positions for around 1,454 fair price shops were vacant and steps were being taken to fill them soon, the Minister revealed.

Some of the tenants had applied for the ration card and appropriate steps should be taken to issue the ration cards by identifying the place where they were living now, if they have changed houses. The Collectors in Hyderabad, Ranga Reddy and Medchal districts must take special care to complete the verification process expeditiously, Kamalakar noted.

Some tribes have become gram panchayats and steps are being taken to set up a sub-centre dealer for them depending on the requirement. The distribution of ration cards would be started by the Chief Minister as soon as the list of beneficiaries from the districts was received.

Referring to paddy procurement the Minister said Telangana has set new records in grain purchases. The government aimed to procure 80 lakh metric tonnes of grain this 'rabi' season, but so far it has procured more than 90 lakh metric tonnes, exceeding expectations.

"We have procured over Rs 17,000 crore worth of grain and were depositing cash in farmers' accounts within three days of purchase," the Minister said. In some districts there was a delay in harvesting and shifting paddy to procurement centres and such grain would also be procured.

Paddy procurement was yet to be completed in Gadwal, Nagar Kurnool, Mahabubnagar and Narayanpet districts. Farmers in those districts used to sell their grain in Karnataka and this time they brought the produce to the purchasing centres set up by the government due to lockdown in that State.

Nearly another lakh metric tonnes of paddy would have to be procured. In view of the increased paddy production the State government has planned to set up Telangana food processing zones with a grain milling system, the Minister added.

Minister Kamalakar directed officials to pay the money immediately for the grain procured from the farmers. Steps are being taken to build godowns in Vikarabad, Narayanpet and Mulugu districts where less number of godowns to store grain.

No other State in the country had paid the minimum support price for paddy and in Telangana alone the government had bought all the grain harvested at the minimum support price without any hassles, Kamalakar explained. The Minister Kamalakar thanked Collectors, Additional Collectors, Civil Supplies Department staff, Revenue staff, Co-operative Societies, Women's organisations, workers, hamalis for their contributions towards successful paddy procurement.

Collector K Shashanka, Additional Collector Shyam Prasad Lal, District Civil Supplies Officer Suresh Reddy, Civil Supplies DM, Srikanth Reddy and others were present