Hyderabad residents are facing difficulties as their Food Security Cards (FSCs) are either pending or have been rejected. Many blame this on the lack of proper inspections by officials. More than 54,000 FSCs are currently pending in the city.
The Food Security Card allows families to buy essential goods at reduced prices. However, many people who applied have not received these benefits because their applications were rejected without explanation.
Shaik Arfath Begum, a widow, applied for an FSC but was turned down without any reason. She mentioned, “My application number FSC022503436315 was unfairly rejected, and there was no inspection before the decision.”
Anita Neelam faced a similar issue. Her application was also rejected without explanation, yet she believes her family qualifies for the card. She has appealed to the Chief Rationing Officer for reconsideration and awaits a response.
Many other applications have been similarly rejected or left pending. Citizens claim that officials denied these applications without conducting field checks. This has prevented many eligible individuals from accessing other welfare programs linked to the FSC.
Mohammed Ahmed, TDP Minority Cell’s vice-president, stated that numerous complaints have been submitted to the Civil Supplies department regarding these issues. He criticized the officers at the DCS office for not being available to assist applicants, causing significant distress. He urged the department to review and approve the pending applications.
Recently, Yakutpura MLA Jaffar Hussain Meraj visited the DSO office to address the backlog of applications. He noted that over 6,500 applications are pending in the Yakutpura area, even though initial checks are complete. He called for a faster approval process by increasing staff, highlighting that these cards are crucial for accessing important welfare schemes like Aarogyasri and housing for families below the poverty line.
Officials cited a shortage of staff and a backlog at the DSO level as reasons for the delays, affecting further processing by the ASO team.
