Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday hit out at the ruling TRS in Telangana terming its government as "failed" which has "taken away the rights of the poor" and said it did not distribute additional 5 kg ration under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY) since April.

Goyal told the media persons that the Centre wrote several letters and spoke to the state government but they continued not to distribute the ration.

Food Corporation of India had earlier hit a pause on rice procurement from Telangana due to state government irregularities.

Goyal said the decision was taken with a heavy heart and accused the state government of being "insensitive" and "merciless".

"It is with a very heavy heart I had to stop it because the Telangana government is such a merciless and insensitive government that the decision of the Prime Minister to provide 5 kg extra foodgrains under the PM-GKAY during the COVID pandemic, the state government was not implementing that decision since April. No government can do a bigger injustice than depriving the poor of their rights," Goyal said.

Goyal said some rice mills were found to have poor storage during the audit and the state government did not act despite the Centre's reminder to do so.

"Only using foul language against the Prime Minister and all of us does not do any good to the public. People are benefitted when the Centre takes care of the poor. The state government should have implemented the scheme honestly. We wrote several letters, spoke with them but they continued to not dispense. They have taken away the rights of the poor. Besides, some mills were found during the audit to have poor storage of the rice. Some mixture was found. The state governmnet was asked to act against it, they did not do that also," he said.

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