Hyderabad; A cabinet sub-committee convened at Jalasaudha to discuss the issuance of new white ration cards. The meeting was chaired by Minister for Consumer Affairs N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and attended by key officials including Minister for Revenue and Information Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, Government Whip Adluri Lakshman Kumar, PUC Chairman K. Shankarayya, and Legislative Council members such as Teenmaar Mallanna.
Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy announced that the process for issuing new white ration cards will begin in October. He stated that the cabinet sub-committee is expected to submit its report on the matter by the end of the month. The state government has appointed this sub-committee, chaired by Uttam Kumar Reddy and including Health Minister Damodar Raj Narasimha and Revenue and Information Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, to oversee the approval and issuance of new ration cards.
The sub-committee, which has previously examined the issue from multiple perspectives, held its fourth meeting on Monday at Jalasaudha, Erra Manzil Colony. Following the cabinet’s decision, the issuance process for new white ration cards is scheduled to start in October. Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy also highlighted the current limited number of new white ration cards issued in Telangana and reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to providing ration cards to all eligible individuals.
Currently, the state has 89.96 million white ration cards. Additionally, there are 54.45 million National Food Security cards, with the central government supplying five kilograms of rice per card and the state government covering the additional amount. The state government is also responsible for providing rice for 35.51 million cards. Furthermore, there are 5.66 million Antyodaya cards.
The sub-committee is working on developing procedures for issuing new ration cards while reviewing existing statistics. In rural Telangana, there are 150,000 white ration cards, and in urban areas, approximately 200,000. The state government has set eligibility criteria for white ration cards, including a limit of 3.5 acres for rural areas and 7.5 acres for urban areas. Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy also announced that fine rice distribution will commence at all fair price shops starting in January.