Hyderabad, March 18 (IANS) The Andhra Pradesh government Monday announced a new scheme, under which Below Poverty Line (BPL) families will be supplied nine essential food items at subsidized price through the Public Distribution System (PDS).
Under the scheme to be implemented from Telugu New Year Ugadi (March 27), the ration card holders will get a basket of commodities including wheat, wheat atta, sugar, red gram, palmolein oil, iodized salt, tamarind, chilly powder and turmeric powder at fair price shops.
The scheme was announced in the state budget for 2013-14 presented in the assembly Monday.
Finance Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy said every card holder will get a benefit by Rs.1,284 per annum. This scheme will cost Rs.660 crore to the state exchequer every year.
The state is already implementing Re.1 a kg rice scheme for BPL families.
The finance minister said 7.5 crore people were benefiting through PDS. Every month 3.25 lakh metric tonnes of rice per is being distributed under the scheme.
