The government would issue new ration cards to all eligible beneficiaries and the modalities to be adopted need wider discussions with people’s representatives and political parties, said Civil Supplies and Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy.
“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 procedures and eligibility criteria followed in other States,” he said.
Addressing the media after a meeting of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on new ration cards, he said the Cabinet Sub-Committee headed by him and consisting of Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha and Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy discussed the modalities of the new ration card issuance process in its first meeting today.
He said the sub-committee examined various factors to ensure a comprehensive and inclusive approach. Proposed eligibility criteria include an annual income limit of ₹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 ₹2 lakh in urban areas. The focus in urban areas will be on annual income rather than land ownership.
He said the Civil Supplies department has been tasked with drafting and sending letters to all Members of Parliament, the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council seeking their views on the eligibility criteria.
The Minister noted that in the meeting that after Telangana was formed, the existing 91,68,231 ration cards in the combined Andhra Pradesh 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.
About 73.63% of the State’s population, projected to be 3.94 crore in 2024, is covered under the existing ration card units. Telangana currently has 89.96 lakh ration cards of which 35.51 lakh are State-issued cards while the remaining 54.45 lakh are National Food Security Act (NFSA) cards. The State has received 11.33 lakh new applications.
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 card here.
