Beneficiaries sell Re.1-kg rice in open market

The rice is bought by small-time traders who sell it to hotels, millers and export to Maharashtra

The State Government has launched the ambitious Re.1-a-kg rice scheme for the white ration card (food security card) holders to remove hunger and provide some relief to people living below the poverty line.

Ironically, the Re.1-a- kg rice supplied by the Civil Supplies Department to white ration card holders is sold by the beneficiaries to earn an extra buck in the open market. Incidentally, there are small-time traders, who move in various parts of the district collecting Re.1-a-kg rice from the beneficiaries at the rate ranging from Rs.8 per kilogram to Rs.10 per kilogram.

In turn, the small-time traders sell rice to hotels, eatery joints, rice millers and even export them to the neighbouring Maharashtra at the rate of Rs.12 to Rs.16 per kilogram. The welfare scheme launched by the State Government has come in handy to beneficiaries and small-time traders to make a living at the cost of the State exchequer.

Incidentally, Karimnagar district, which is also native of Minister for Civil Supplies Etala Rajender, tops in the State with highest number of food security cards. The district has a whopping 10,98,393 food security cards - including AAY and Annapurna cards. Every month, the government supplies 2,03,132.17 quintals of rice to ration cardholders.

As per the 2011 census statistics, the district population is 37,76,269 but the units (family members) enrolled in various food security cards include a whopping 31,68,836 persons.

“Are citizens of the entire Karimnagar district poor and living below the poverty line?,” questions Confederation of All Telangana Consumer Organisations (CATCO) chairman N Srinivas.

Alleging that majority of ration card holders are selling the rice supplied by the fair price shops at a premium, he demanded that the government should weed out all the bogus cards on a war-footing and save public money. He charged that even the government employees are in possession of white ration cards to avail benefits of Arogyasri, fee reimbursement and other government welfare schemes.

Officials of the Civil Supplies Department said that the beneficiaries of ration cards are also resorting to exchange of rice for wheat and other essential commodities. They said that they have been conducting raids and registering cases against illegal transportation of rice supplied, but in vain.