Ration Card: Big Relief for Card Holders as Govt Announces Fresh Update

Hyderabad: In a major relief to ration card holders across the country, the Central government has once again extended the deadline for completing the e-KYC (electronic Know Your Customer) process. The new deadline has now been pushed to April 30, 2025, from the earlier cutoff date of March 31.

The move comes under the purview of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) to ensure transparency and prevent ineligible individuals from availing of subsidies meant for genuine beneficiaries.

According to officials, ration card holders who fail to complete the e-KYC process before the new deadline risk cancellation of their cards and may lose access to free ration benefits. Authorities have made it clear that this might be the last extension, and no further leniency will be provided.

The government has launched awareness campaigns over the past few months, urging beneficiaries to visit nearby ration shops, Aadhaar enrollment centres, or online portals to complete the process without hassle.

Telangana Govt Pushes for New Ration Card Applications

Meanwhile, the Telangana state government has also encouraged citizens to apply for new ration cards, setting its own deadline for submissions. Post deadline, government officials will conduct field-level verification to identify and issue ration cards to eligible applicants.

Leaders from the ruling Congress party have criticized the previous BRS government, alleging that no new ration cards were issued during the last 10 years. As part of its election manifesto, the Congress had promised to grant white ration cards to all deserving families upon coming to power.

With both the Centre and state taking steps to streamline and expand the ration card system, beneficiaries are being urged to act swiftly to avoid exclusion from critical welfare schemes.