Telangana is preparing a larger foodgrain buffer and considering the addition of essential commodities to the public distribution system (PDS) to protect 3.4 crore beneficiaries from possible drought, crop losses and price rises linked to anticipated El Nino conditions.
Civil supplies and irrigation minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy directed officials to plan procurement and stock management in advance at a high-level review meeting at the state secretariat. The objective is to maintain uninterrupted supplies even if deficient rainfall affects future agricultural seasons.
The minister reviewed Telangana’s rice stocks and procurement plans and said the state should not depend entirely on the success of the forthcoming paddy harvest. Officials were asked to ensure that supplies expected from millers and other sources reach government stocks on schedule.
Telangana requires about 2.4 lakh metric tonnes of rice each month, or 28.6 lakh metric tonnes annually, to meet the combined requirements of the Central Pool Public Distribution System, Other Welfare Schemes and the State Pool. These requirements include the Mid-Day Meal programme and other welfare schemes.
The Civil Supplies department’s stock position on October 16 showed 9.6 lakh metric tonnes of rice in buffer godowns. This comprised 3.5 lakh metric tonnes under the Central Pool and Other Welfare Schemes, and 6.1 lakh metric tonnes under the State Pool. The existing stock alone provides a cushion of approximately five months at the state’s stated monthly requirement.
A further 18.4 lakh metric tonnes is expected through pending Custom Milled Rice deliveries and other identified supplies. If these receipts arrive as planned, total availability would reach about 28 lakh metric tonnes, which the department estimates would cover combined PDS and welfare requirements for approximately 11 months, up to September 2027.
The review also examined whether selected essential commodities should be distributed through the PDS at subsidised rates. Items under consideration include wheat flour, red gram, palm oil, sugar, tamarind and chilli powder. The department has been asked to calculate the quantity required per beneficiary, procurement arrangements and the financial burden before the proposal is placed before the state cabinet.
The move places stock management at the centre of Telangana’s food-security planning. The immediate operational issue is not only the rice already stored in government godowns, but also the timely receipt of the quantities expected from millers and other sources. Civil supplies commissioner Stephen Ravindra and other senior officials attended the review meeting.
The state cabinet will take up the proposal to add selected essential commodities to the PDS after officials complete the estimates and distribution models. The government’s stated priority is to maintain food supplies for beneficiaries even if future crops are affected by natural calamities and adverse seasonal conditions.
