Hyderabad: The State government’s plan to start accepting new ration card applications in the first week of October may face delays. This is due to a hold-up in finalizing the eligibility criteria and deciding whether the new cards will be digital or regular.
Despite the government’s efforts to move quickly, the process of setting up a proper framework is still ongoing. A cabinet sub-committee has been holding regular meetings, but progress has been slow. The committee’s latest meeting on September 16 aimed to finalize the rules by the end of this month. However, discussions with stakeholders are still incomplete.
Eligibility Criteria Under Reconsideration
After the recent meeting, Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy revealed that the proposed eligibility criteria are being reconsidered. The current proposal suggests that eligible beneficiaries should have an annual income of less than Rs 1.5 lakh and own less than 3.5 acres of wetland or 7.5 acres of dry land in rural areas. In urban areas, the income limit is set at Rs 2 lakh.
On September 19, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy instructed officials to speed up the process. He emphasized the need to have the framework ready and start accepting applications by October 2. The cabinet sub-committee, led by Uttam Kumar, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, and Damodara Rajanarsimha, will meet again this month to finalize the framework.
Meanwhile, officials from the civil supplies department remain uncertain about key decisions. They are under pressure as the government wants the new ration cards issued soon. However, decisions regarding the card types, the number of cards to be deleted, and other details have yet to be made. An official mentioned that without these key decisions, the process might be delayed further.
