Hyderabad tops beneficiaries under Telangana food security scheme
HYDERABAD: The state government is expanding the Public Distribution System to strengthen food security for poor households. According to the recently released State Socio-Economic Survey, the number of ration cards in Telangana has crossed 1.05 crore.
Hyderabad ranks first in ration card numbers, followed by Rangareddy and Medchal–Malkajgiri districts. After the Congress assumed office in the state, 15.12 lakh ration cards were issued to eligible poor families.
Across Telangana, 17,348 fair price shops supply subsidised foodgrain to beneficiaries. However, the number of ration outlets has remained unchanged despite rising demand in urban areas.
District-wise ration network and beneficiary coverage
Hyderabad has 655 fair price shops covering 8,39,625 ration cards, the highest in the state. Rangareddy has 936 shops serving 6,53,761 cards, while Medchal–Malkajgiri has 633 shops with 6,41,556 cards.
In rural areas, the ration system continues to operate steadily. Nalgonda leads with 1,051 shops covering 5,38,650 cards, followed by Nizamabad with 760 shops serving 4,72,565 cards. Khammam district has 4,69,865 ration cards, among the highest after these districts.
On average, a single ration shop in Hyderabad caters to 1,281 cards, compared with 512 cards per shop in Nalgonda.
Statewide ration card snapshot
Eligible food security cards stand at 99,36,073. Newly issued ration cards number 5,66,660, while 5,146 fair price shops were added recently. The total number of ration cards in the state is 1,05,07,879.
