Revanth Asks Officials to Prepare Roadmap for New Ration Cards

Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has directed officials to prepare a comprehensive action plan for the issuance of new ration cards, with the application process set to begin on October 2. The announcement came during a review meeting held by Revanth Reddy at the Secretariat on Thursday, where procedures for distributing ration cards were discussed.

Revanth Reddy stressed the need for efficiency and transparency in the process, and expressed the government's intent to provide digital ration cards to all deserving individuals. Ministers N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, and Damodar Rajanarsimha were present in the meeting.

Among the major decisions taken at the meeting was the need to conduct a follow-up review soon to monitor the progress.

The Congress government has earlier formed a Cabinet Sub-Committee, headed by civil supplies minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, to examine and recommend eligibility criteria and procedures for issuing new ration and health cards. Interim recommendations from the committee were discussed at the Chief Minister’s meeting.

One significant proposal from the committee was the introduction of smart cards embedded with information through QR codes, microchips, or barcodes, while maintaining existing eligibility criteria. The sub-committee also recommended the removal of an ambiguous clause related to land ownership and income, which previously caused confusion in determining eligibility.

As part of the initiative, suggestions will be solicited from MPs, MLAs, and MLCs from all political parties regarding the current eligibility criteria. The recommendations of the Dr N.C. Saxena Committee, constituted by the Supreme Court, will also be considered. The income threshold for eligibility has been set at Rs 1.5 lakh annually for rural areas and Rs 2 lakh for urban areas. Other criteria for Annapurna food security cards include age (65 and above), lack of regular income, and no family financial support.

Currently, the state has issued 84.3 lakh ration cards, including 54.45 lakh National Food Security Act (NFSA) cards from the Centre, and 35.51 lakh state cards. Between 2016 and 2023, during the BRS regime, 6.47 lakh cards were issued while 5.98 lakh were deleted, leaving a current total of 89.21 lakh ration cards.