The government is preparing to distribute fine rice through ration shops starting in April. Stock points have already received the rice, and officials estimate that around 22 lakh tonnes will be needed each year. Arrangements are being made at the district level to ensure smooth distribution. Civil Supplies officers have begun transporting fine rice to stock points and are ready to start distribution next month.
Currently, the state has 89.96 lakh ration cards, covering 2.81 crore beneficiaries. The government expects to approve an additional 10 lakh ration cards, which will increase the number of beneficiaries by 30 lakh. As a result, the total rice requirement is estimated to be between 22 and 24 lakh tonnes annually.
To meet this demand, the government collected 24 lakh tonnes of fine paddy during the monsoon season. The milling process is progressing under the Civil Supplies department, and an estimated 15 to 16 lakh tonnes of fine rice will be made available for distribution. If there is a shortage later in the year, an additional 6 to 8 lakh tonnes of rice will be sourced from the post-monsoon harvest.
At present, a large portion of the coarse rice distributed through ration shops is not being consumed. Reports suggest that nearly 60% of it goes unused, with some merchants purchasing it for use in animal feed and liquor production. Due to this, the demand for fine rice has increased, leading to higher prices in the market.
The government has decided to replace coarse rice with fine rice for ration cardholders, as many people are not consuming the coarse variety. To encourage farmers to grow more fine paddy, a bonus of ₹500 per quintal will be given during the 2024 monsoon season. This move is also expected to prevent the misuse of coarse rice, which some millers have allegedly purchased cheaply, reprocessed, and sold back to the government through false billing.
Civil Supplies officers are ensuring that fine rice from the monsoon season is properly stored at stock points. In districts where paddy yields are low, rice is being brought in from other regions to ensure a steady supply for distribution.
