Hyderabad, Jun 7 (IANS): Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhara Rao on Monday said that his state has not only achieved food security but has also become source of food security for the country.
He claimed that Telangana stood first in the country in food production by producing three crore tonnes of food grains.
KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, has greeted people on the occasion of World Food Safety Day.
Recalling the efforts put in by the state government to turn Telangana into a rice bowl in the country ("Annapurna") from a region which faced famine and starvation as part of united Andhra Pradesh, he said within a short span of time, Telangana was able to create two crore acres fertile land which is yielding two crops.
KCR said it is a moment of pride for the state which has become number one in the paddy production by completing all major irrigation projects like Kaleswaram, and reviving and restoring tanks under Mission Kakatiya programme.
He said even during the Corona pandemic, the crops cultivated by Telangana farmers have provided food security to the country.
He claimed that measures taken by the government in supplying nutritious meat, eggs and fish to people have yielded good results. The state government is implementing sheep rearing schemes and encouraging fruits and vegetable production. With these efforts, people in the state are getting food, which is safe and secured.
KCR also stated that the government is waging a war against all the adulteration of the food items. The government is dealing sternly against the spurious seeds, fertilisers and pesticides, thereby ensuring safe food grains.
He said keeping in view the increase in diabetes, the state government has prepared Telangana Sona variety of rice and cultivation of this rice variety is encouraged all over the state.
Noting that the government has introduced several welfare schemes at a cost of Rs 45,000 crore providing welfare, food, social and life security, he said that in order to provide food security and ensure that no one goes hungry, each person is given 6 kgs of rice in every family through Food Security Card (Ration Card).
Of the total 87,41,000 ration card-holding families, 2,79,27,000 (72 per cent of the state's population) are given 20 lakh tonnes of rice at one rupee per kg per year. For this, the state government is bearing Rs 28.24 per kg or Rs 2,088 crore subsidy. Fine quality rice is being given to the students in hostels.
Ration card portability was created so that ration cardholders can draw their ration anywhere in the state and this had provided total food security to the needy, he added.