Hyderabad: Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy has announced that the Telangana government will issue 10 lakh new white ration cards after the Sankranti festival. This initiative is expected to benefit about 31 lakh people across the state.
Speaking during the Question Hour in the Telangana Legislative Council on Monday, the Minister shared that the eligibility for these ration cards will be determined using data from the recently conducted caste census survey. Implementing this scheme will add an annual financial burden of Rs 956 crore to the state’s budget. He also revealed that over 18 lakh applications to add names to existing ration cards have been stuck at MeeSeva centres for more than a decade. To address this backlog and improve efficiency, the government plans to replace old ration cards with new smart cards.
The Minister emphasized that this new white ration card program was designed under the leadership of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. A sub-committee, headed by Uttam Kumar Reddy and including Damodar Raja Narasimha and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, held several meetings to determine the eligibility criteria. These recommendations, which follow the Sachchidananda Saxena Committee guidelines and incorporate feedback from MLAs, MLCs, and MPs, have been submitted to the state cabinet for final approval.
Apart from issuing new ration cards, the government is also working to strengthen fair-price shop operations. Efforts are underway to fill vacancies in these shops, and new outlets are being planned for recently established gram panchayats and tandas. These measures aim to improve access to essential supplies for residents in rural and underserved areas.
