While speaking at a public meeting in Dharur, Vikarabad district, the minister raised concerns about the existing distribution model, highlighting a notable inconsistency in ration card statistics.
“The state accommodates approximately 1.10 crore families, yet there are 1.25 crore ration cards. Shouldn’t we guarantee that only the genuinely impoverished receive benefits? Free rice ought to go solely to those who genuinely struggle to afford food. When NT Rama Rao served as Chief Minister, rice was priced at ₹3, with the government providing it at ₹2 — people revered him as a deity. But today, should rice valued at ₹60 be distributed for free?” he questioned.
He urged locals to identify even 10 to 20 individuals in the village lacking ration cards, challenging the notion that the entire village could be deemed impoverished.
His comments reportedly unsettled other dignitaries present, including
Telangana Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar, placing them in a politically precarious position.
The opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) wasted no time in criticizing him, alleging that the Congress-led government is using such rhetoric to avoid fulfilling its electoral promises. BRS spokesperson Manne Krishank stated in an interview with News18, “The Congress made 420 commitments prior to assuming power. Now, it is reneging. Not a single new ration card has been issued. The farm loan waiver has yet to reach the farmers. Under the Rythu Bharosa scheme, they pledged ₹ 15,000 per acre but lowered it to ₹ 12,000, and even that hasn’t been dispensed. There’s no indication of farmer insurance either.”
Tummala, who previously held the position of Roads and Buildings Minister in KCR’s cabinet, had earlier remarked that providing 24-hour free electricity for agriculture was unnecessary and asserted that even farmers did not desire it.
Meanwhile, numerous welfare and development initiatives promised by the Congress during the elections have yet to be fully realized. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has claimed that the implementation will occur in phases. However, he has also candidly acknowledged in the Assembly that Telangana is facing a financial crisis, to the point of relying on the RBI to disburse salaries.
Revisions to salaries, DA payments, and other employee benefits are still pending. Discontent among government employees and RTC workers is mounting, with unions threatening strikes over unmet demands.
In this scenario, Minister Tummala’s remarks have ignited renewed concerns regarding the government’s ability and willingness to fulfill its commitments, posing difficult questions about the future of welfare in Telangana.
