HYDERABAD, DEC 19 : Telangana Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister Capt N Uttam Kumar Reddy announced in the assembly on Thursday that the Telangana government is preparing to distribute fine rice to ration cardholders within the next two months.

Replying to a question raised by the members of the house during the question hours, he explained that while the government initially planned to begin the distribution in January, additional time was required to complete the necessary arrangements. As a result, the distribution is now expected to commence in February or March.

The Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to tackling the illegal transportation of ration rice. He warned of strict action against those involved in such practices and assured that increased vigilance measures would be implemented.

Addressing concerns about the establishment of new ration dealer shops, Uttam Kumar Reddy stated that the government is willing to set up additional shops in areas where necessary. However, he emphasized that indiscriminately introducing new shops could negatively affect existing dealers. The government is exploring the possibility of sanctioning new shops in 4,000 tribal Tands that have recently been converted into Gram Panchayats, subject to viability.

Reddy confirmed that 17,256 ration shops are currently operational in the state. He acknowledged that ration shop dealers have requested an increase in their commission from Rs 140 to Rs 300 per quintal, along with an honorarium of Rs 30,000 per month for rural Fair Price (FP) shop dealers and Rs 35,000–40,000 per month for urban dealers. However, he noted that these proposals have financial implications, and the government is currently reviewing them.

The Minister also mentioned that the FP shop dealer margin was increased from Rs 70 to Rs 140 per quintal starting in October 2023. He stated that the government has yet to decide on any further revisions.