HYDERABAD: In a significant development ahead of the Telangana Formation Day celebrations, the state government has reportedly cleared a massive backlog of food security card applications, adding nearly 20 lakh new beneficiaries to the public distribution system (PDS).
The decision is being seen both as an administrative milestone and a political move.
According to official sources, over two lakh new ration cards have been approved, which will benefit a total of five lakh individuals. Additionally, applications for expanding family units under existing cards have been cleared, covering around 15 lakh more people. The Civil Supplies department is said to have conducted a comprehensive field-level verification process before the final approvals.
This development pushes the total number of ration cards in the state from approximately 89.97 lakh to 92.28 lakh, with the number of beneficiaries rising from 2.81 crore to 3.01 crore — an increase of nearly 20 lakh individuals.
The timing and scale of the ration card clearances are politically significant. In the lead-up to the 2023 Assembly elections, the then-opposition Congress had strongly criticised the BRS government for allegedly stalling the issue of new food security cards.
The Congress government now appears to be eager to expedite the process of issuing new cards. The sanctioned cards are part of the party’s Praja Palana initiative — a citizen-outreach programme launched soon after the Congress formed the government — which solicited public grievances and applications across a wide range of welfare schemes. The government also facilitated online applications through MeeSeva centres, a move aimed at streamlining access and reducing bureaucratic delays.
Beyond expanding coverage, the Congress government has also introduced qualitative improvements. Unlike the previous BRS regime, the current administration started supplying superfine variety rice through ration shops.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is expected to officially announce the clearance of these applications during Telangana Formation Day celebrations on Monday.