Panel thrashes out modalities for issue of new ration cards

Hyderabad: Minister for Civil Supplies N Uttam Kumar Reddy has announced that the State government will issue new ration cards to all eligible beneficiaries in Telangana.

He spoke to media persons after a meeting of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on new ration cards at his chambers in the Secretariat here on Saturday. The committee, with Uttam Kumar Reddy as the Chairman and Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha and Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy as members, discussed the modalities of the new ration card issuance process in its first meeting.

Civil Supplies Commissioner DS Chauhan, Health Secretary Christina Z Chongthu and other officials participated in the meeting.

The sub-committee examined various factors to ensure a comprehensive and inclusive approach. Proposed eligibility criteria include an annual income limit of Rs 1.5 lakh, ownership of less than 3.5 acres of dry land or 7.5 acres of wetland in rural areas, and an annual income limit of Rs 2 lakh in urban areas. The focus in urban areas will be on annual income rather than land ownership.

To ensure that no deserving individual is left behind, the sub-committee is conducting a thorough study. It plans to solicit suggestions and feedback from public representatives across party lines as part of this process.

Uttam Kumar Reddy announced that letters would be sent to all Members of Parliament, the Legislative Assembly, and the Legislative Council seeking their input on the eligibility criteria. The Civil Supplies department has been tasked with drafting and sending these letters immediately. Furthermore, the sub-committee will consider the recommendations of the Saxena Committee, headed by Dr N C Saxena, which includes Supreme Court Special Commissioner Harsh Mander as a member.

“The government is committed to providing ration cards to those below the poverty line and is keen to learn from the experiences of other states. A team of officials has already studied the ration card issuance procedures and eligibility criteria followed in other States,” Uttam said.

Addressing concerns about potential duplication, the sub-committee discussed allowing those who hold ration cards in other States and have migrated to Telangana to choose between retaining their existing card or obtaining a new one in Telangana.

During the meeting, Uttam Kumar Reddy noted that after Telangana was formed, the existing 91,68,231 ration cards from the Andhra Pradesh era were reduced to 89,21,907 due to cancellations and migration to Andhra Pradesh. From 2016 to 2023, as many as 6,47,479 new ration cards were issued, but 5,98,000 were deleted.

Telangana currently has 89.96 lakh ration cards covering 281.70 lakh units. Of these, 35.51 lakh are state-issued cards, while the remaining 54.45 lakh are National Food Security Act (NFSA) cards. Eligibility for Food Security Cards (FSC) is based on income, land ownership, and specific vulnerabilities. The State’s population, projected to be 3.94 crore in 2024, is about 73.63% covered under the existing ration card units, he explained.

The State has received 11.33 lakh applications for adding new members to the existing cards, accounting for 16.36 lakh units. The estimated expenditure for these additions is Rs 495.12 crore per year. There are 10 lakh applications for new ration cards, estimated to cover 31.60 lakh units at an expenditure of Rs 956.04 crore per year, the Minister said.

Uttam Kumar Reddy further stated that the State government is planning to refine the eligibility criteria to ensure that all eligible households are covered under the Food Security schemes.