VIJAYAWADA: Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar has clarified that there is no deadline to apply for new ration cards or making modifications, as it is a continuous process. Eligible people can apply at anytime, he said at a media conference on Thursday.
Every eligible person will get a rice card as per the government norms. New cards are being issued free of cost within 21 days of submitting application, with no delays in the process.
Since May 7, updates and modifications to rice cards have been underway across the State. The Centre has mandated e-KYC, and Andhra Pradesh is the only State to complete e-KYC for 95% of its ration cardholders. Over five lakh applications have been received so far, including 60,000 for new rice cards, he explained.
The Minister acknowledged technical issues, such as server slowdown due to high application volume, causing inconvenience at secretariats. He apologized for these challenges, and noted that the Commissioner and officials have been working tirelessly to resolve them.
In June, 4,24,59,128 individuals will receive rice cards free of charge. He urged new applicants not to worry, as minor issues during updates are expected. Smart rice cards will be issued by storing the cardholder data in a database.
No marriage certificates or wedding photos are required for modifications, and secretariat staff have been instructed to accept applications without these documents. For adding new names to cards, applications will be reviewed and registered promptly. However, deletions require documentary proof and are currently limited to cases of death, he said.
The government is also facilitating changes to the head of the family, including for women and transgenders. Based on field feedback, ongoing improvements are being made to ensure a hassle-free process. Plans are underway to allow e-KYC, Aadhaar seeding, and card surrender through WhatsApp for enhanced convenience, the Civil Supplies Minister said.