'No Modi pic at PDS shop': TRS ministers slam Nirmala Sitharaman

Telangana Minister KT Rama Rao has expressed shock over Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman rebuking a District Collector for being unable to provide her an answer to what was the Centre and States share of rice supplied through fair price shops, and said such conduct of people holding high offices would only demoralise hardworking officers.

Rama Rao, in a tweet on Friday night, said I am appalled by the unruly conduct of FM @nsitharaman today with District Magistrate/Collector of Kamareddy. These political histrionics on the street will only demoralise hardworking AIS officers.”

“My compliments to @Collector_KMR Jitesh V Patil, IAS, on his dignified conduct,” he tweeted.

During the inspection of a PDS ration shop in Birkoor, the Union Minister had also asked Jitesh Patil why the picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was missing there.

At the PDS shop in Biknoor, Sitharaman asked the shopkeeper why the PM’s photo was not splashed across and said while the Centre’s contribution is Rs 29 per kg of ration rice, the state spends only Rs 4 while Re 1 is paid by the beneficiary.

Further, she asked the collector if he knew about the state and Centre’s shares, to which he said he had no clue. Furious, the minister reportedly asked,  “Find out and give me an answer immediately.”

She said since March-April 2020, the Centre has been providing rice priced at Rs 30-Rs 35 free of cost without the State government and the beneficiaries having to contribute anything. Sitharaman was in the state attending various programmes in Zaheerabad Parliamentary Constituency as part of BJPs Lok Sabha PravasYojana.

Telangana Finance Minister Harish Rao said the demand to keep PM Modi’s pictures at ration shops “is ridiculous and demeaning the PM’s stature”.

(With Agency inputs)