Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Saturday said the government would continue issuing ration cards to all eligible beneficiaries even as he criticised the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government for not issuing new ration cards and for failing to provide sanna biyyam (fine rice) to beneficiaries.

Addressing a public meeting before launching the distribution of smart ration cards in Sangareddy, Mr. Reddy described the ration card as a document that ensured self-respect for poor families.

Slamming the Opposition BRS and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for their criticism, he said they were “two faces of the same coin”. “I am questioning the BRS and BJP leaders, have you ever thought of giving sanna biyyam to the poor? Have the poor ever cooked and eaten the rice you gave them?” he asked. The Chief Minister also claimed that rice prices in the open market had declined following the supply of fine rice through the public distribution system.

Reiterating that his government had filled more than 70,000 government posts in the 32 months since it assumed office, he urged job aspirants not to fall prey to what he termed a “false campaign” by the Opposition. He assured them that job notifications would be issued every six months.

He said the government was trying to take Telangana from “destruction to development” while continuing welfare programmes despite financial constraints and rejected criticism that the Congress government would disrupt power supply.

Civil Supplies and Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said ration cards would be issued to all eligible beneficiaries and that the process would continue as an ongoing exercise. He said ration cards covering about 1.06 crore families were being distributed to benefit 3.42 crore people. The government had procured 150 lakh metric tonnes of paddy this year, he said.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy also made political remarks about TPCC working president and former MLA T. Jayaprakash Reddy (Jagga Reddy) and his wife, Nirmala, and praised their association with the Congress. He said it was not in his hands to decide whether Mr. Reddy would contest from Sangareddy and that the decision rested with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Mr. Revanth Reddy also reiterated allegations made by his party leaders that BRS deputy floor leader T. Harish Rao had performed occult rituals against the government. The Chief Minister earlier unveiled the statues of former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Rajiv Gandhi in Sangareddy. Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha, TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud and others also spoke at the meeting.

Published - August 15, 2026 07:20 pm IST