Government’s Major Update: New Ration Card Distribution to Begin in January

Visakhapatnam: The Andhra Pradesh government has made a significant decision to issue new ration cards, with the process set to begin in January. According to the government, these new cards will be issued to newly married couples and other eligible individuals in need. The government has also planned to review the current cards and re-issue them to qualified beneficiaries.

Current Ration Card Scenario in Andhra Pradesh

Presently, Andhra Pradesh has approximately 1.48 crore (14.8 million) white ration cards, out of which 90 lakh (9 million) are issued by the central government under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). Through these NFSA cards, the central government provides free rice, lentils, sugar, and other essential commodities. However, for the remaining cards, these items are provided by the state government at subsidized rates. For a long time, the state government has requested that these remaining cards also be covered under the NFSA, but so far, there has been no response from the central government.

Deactivation of Inactive Cards and Issuance of New Ones

A review conducted by the Civil Supplies Department found that some ration cards issued by the previous government are now inactive, as no rations have been claimed through them in the past six months. According to the department’s data, 17,941 “Antyodaya Anna Yojana” cardholders and 1,36,420 “PHH” cardholders did not collect rations in recent months. The government estimates that deactivating these inactive cards could save approximately 90 crore annually. The funds saved from this could then be redirected to issue ration cards to new and deserving beneficiaries.

Issuance of New Ration Cards in January

In January, the Andhra Pradesh government plans to issue new ration cards to over 1.5 lakh (150,000) deserving individuals. The new ration card design will include an official state emblem on a light yellow card. Previously, the ration cards carried photos of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu
, but the new design will see this change.

Pending Applications for New Ration Cards and Changes

The state government currently has over 3.36 lakh (336,000) pending applications for new ration cards, updates, and changes. These applications include:

• 30,611 for new cards
• 46,918 for card splitting
• 2,13,007 for member additions
• 36,588 for deletions
• 8,263 for address changes
• 685 for card surrenders

The government has started the verification process to address these applications promptly and ensure that eligible people receive ration cards, helping them meet their nutritional needs and access essential resources.