Punjab, Telangana on top in contributing PDS rice

HYDERABAD: Punjab and Telangana stood at the first and second places respectively in the country in contributing the highest paddy and rice stocks to public distribution system (PDS) and other food security schemes like Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY).

The data released in Parliament on Tuesday showed that Punjab contributed 202.82 lakh metric tonnes (LMTs) of paddy in 2020-21 till August 3, 2021, while Telangana contributed 141.15 LMTs during the same period in the kharif procurement season. No other state in the country stands anywhere near Punjab and Telangana. Andhra Pradesh stood at a distant third place by contributing 82.87 LMTs.

Union minister of state for food and public distribution system, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, stated in Lok Sabha that in terms of rice, Punjab had contributed 135.89 LMTs while Telangana contributed 94.57 LMTs.

Replying to the questions raised by MPs on this issue, she said Telangana's paddy contribution to PDS during kharif had increased sharply from 111.26 LMTs in 2019-20 to 141.15 LMTs in 2020-21.

 Punjab's contribution rose from 162.33 LMTs in 2019-20 to 202.81 LMTs. There was not much growth in Andhra Pradesh’s paddy contribution during the same period. It contributed 82.58 LMTs in 2019-20, which almost remained stable at 82.87 LMTs in 2020-21. 

The latest data is in line with Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao's statements that Telangana had emerged as 'rice bowl of India' due to the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) government's pro-farmer policies and schemes like Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bima, 24x7 free power to agriculture, creation of new irrigation facilities like Kaleshwaram and restoration of tanks under Mission Kakatiya.

While all the States together contributed 872.06 LMTs of paddy and 585.83 LMTs of rice in 2020-21, Telangana's share alone was 141.15 LMTs and 94.57 LMTs respectively.