The Telangana government is preparing to issue new ration cards to residents within the next two months. The cabinet sub-committee has decided to base the issuance of these cards on annual family income. The committee is currently deliberating whether to reduce the income threshold or continue with the existing limits.
Under the guidance of Commissioner of Civil Supplies D.S. Chauhan, the sub-committee has reviewed policies implemented in Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh. A report is expected to be submitted to the sub-committee soon.
Ration cards are not only used for civil supplies but are also integral to various welfare schemes. The cabinet sub-committee assigned to determine new ration and health card issuance policies is expected to introduce several changes. The new criteria include an annual income limit of Rs. 1.5 lakhs for rural areas and Rs. 2 lakhs for urban areas. Additionally, land ownership criteria will specify a maximum of 3.5 acres for irrigated land and 7.5 acres for non-irrigated land.
Telangana currently has 89.96 lakh ration cards covering 2.81 crore members. Among these, 5.66 lakh cards are under the Antyodaya scheme, and 5,416 cards are under the Annapurna scheme. The new guidelines will use annual income as the primary eligibility criterion for issuing new cards. The existing income limits for rural and urban areas are likely to remain unchanged. The final decision will be announced in a meeting scheduled for September 21.