Now AP to give rice at Rs1 a kg to its poor

HYDERABAD: Families living below poverty line (BPL) in Andhra Pradesh will get rice at one rupee a kg from Nov 1, Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy said Wednesday.Kiran Kumar Reddy made the announcement at a public meeting in Tirupati. The scheme is being seen in political circles here as an attempt to divert public attention from the ongoing strike by various sections of people in Telangana for separate state.The BPL families will get the subsidised rice through public distribution system from Nov 1, the state formation day. About 2.24 crore ration card holders are expected to benefit from this scheme.Andhra Pradesh has now joined Tamil Nadu and Kerala in offering this scheme for poor.It was Telugu Desam Party (TDP) founder N.T. Rama Rao who first introduced Rs.2 a kg rice scheme for poor families in Andhra Pradesh after coming to power in early 1980s. His son-in-law N. Chandrababu Naidu discontinued the scheme after dislodging him from power in 1995.Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy re-introduced the scheme after bringing the Congress to power in 2004. Kiran Kumar Reddy has now slashed the price of rice to just one rupee a kg.