Hyderabad’s Civil Supplies Minister, N Uttam Kumar Reddy, has announced the launch of a new initiative to issue ration cards to eligible residents in Telangana. This decision was made following a meeting of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on new ration cards, which he chairs. The meeting also included Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha and Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy.
During the meeting, the committee discussed how to implement the new ration cards. Officials, including Civil Supplies Commissioner DS Chauhan and Health Secretary Christina Z Chongthu, participated. The committee aims to make the process fair and inclusive by setting criteria for eligibility. For rural areas, the criteria include an annual income below Rs 1.5 lakh and land ownership of less than 3.5 acres of dry land or 7.5 acres of wetland. In urban areas, the focus is mainly on income, with the limit set at Rs 2 lakh per year.
To ensure that no eligible person is missed, the sub-committee is conducting a detailed study and seeking feedback from public representatives. Letters will be sent to Members of Parliament, the Legislative Assembly, and the Legislative Council to gather their input. The sub-committee will also consider recommendations from the Saxena Committee, which includes Supreme Court Special Commissioner Harsh Mander.
Minister Reddy emphasized the government’s commitment to supporting those below the poverty line. The state is looking to learn from other states’ experiences in issuing ration cards. A group of officials has already studied how other states handle this process.
The sub-committee also discussed how to manage cases where people have ration cards from other states but have moved to Telangana. They may choose to keep their old card or apply for a new one in Telangana.
Since the formation of Telangana, the number of ration cards has changed. Initially, there were 91,68,231 cards from the Andhra Pradesh era. This number dropped to 89,21,907 due to cancellations and migrations. Between 2016 and 2023, 6,47,479 new cards were issued, but 5,98,000 were deleted.
Currently, Telangana has 89.96 lakh ration cards, covering 281.70 lakh units. Of these, 35.51 lakh are state-issued cards, and 54.45 lakh are National Food Security Act (NFSA) cards. Eligibility for these cards depends on income, land ownership, and specific vulnerabilities. The projected population for 2024 is 3.94 crore, and about 73.63% of this population is covered under the existing ration card units.
The state has received 11.33 lakh applications to add new members to existing cards, which would cost Rs 495.12 crore per year. There are also 10 lakh applications for new ration cards, expected to cover 31.60 lakh units at a cost of Rs 956.04 crore annually.
Minister Reddy stated that the government plans to refine eligibility criteria to ensure that all deserving households benefit from the Food Security schemes.
