Ration Cards in Hyderabad to Be Distributed from July 14 – Over 1 Lakh Expected This Year
Ration Cards in Hyderabad to Be Distributed from July 14 – Over 1 Lakh Expected This Year
Ration card distribution in Hyderabad begins July 14 for verified applicants. Over 2.5 lakh applications received so far; more than 1 lakh new cards expected this year. Verification was delayed due to a staff shortage.
As lakhs of people in the Greater Hyderabad area wait for new ration cards, officials are preparing to start distributing them on July 14. According to District Civil Supplies Officer Srinivas, 29,487 people in nine circles of Hyderabad will receive cards in the first phase.
However, only verified applications will receive cards on that date. Srinivas added that the application, verification, and distribution process will continue over time. People who receive new cards will be eligible to get ration supplies starting from September. Distribution will also happen in Ranga Reddy and Medchal-Malkajgiri districts, along with Hyderabad.
Over 1 Lakh New Cards Expected in a Year
So far, 2.5 lakh applications have been received in Hyderabad alone. Officials report that 5,000 to 6,000 new applications are being submitted daily at Meeseva centers, following the announcement that applications will be accepted continuously.
Applications are first reviewed by Assistant Supply Officers (ASOs), who assign Revenue Inspectors (RIs) for field verification. The RIs visit the addresses provided by applicants to confirm their details and eligibility. After verification, the ASOs submit their reports to the District Supply Officer (DSO), and the final approval comes from the Chief Rationing Officer (CRO).
Currently, there are 6,39,451 active ration cards in Hyderabad’s nine circles. Officials estimate that over one lakh new cards will be issued within the next year.
Staff Shortage Causing Delays
The Civil Supplies Department is facing challenges in verifying the large number of applications due to a shortage of staff. Although thousands of applications are being received daily, there aren’t enough officers available for timely verification.
To address this, the department has requested help from the Municipal (Baldia) and Revenue departments. Additional officers are expected to join the verification work by the end of this month. So far, only about 10% of the 2.5 lakh applications have been verified.
As ration distribution based on new cards won’t start for another two months, officials plan to use this time to speed up verification.
