Khammam: Verification of food security card applications are going in at a snail’s pace in Khammam district due to various reasons.
So far, the officials have verified 1,78,787, or 24.69 per cent, of the 7,23,987 applications.
The state government is committed to issue food security cards only to families whose income is below '1.5 lakh per year in rural areas and '2 lakh in urban areas.
Family owning 7.5 acres of dry land or three acres of wet land would be given food security cards. Officials have been directed to implement these norms strictly.
According to sources, about 22,000 of the 1.78 lakh applications verified so far are not eligible for the food security cards. At the same time, the government is cautious in deleting these families from the list of beneficiaries.
The state government first wants to clarify doubts among the people on connection of the health scheme, particularly Arogyasri, with the food security card.
Many people have applied for food security cards on the notion that they would be getting Arogyasri benefits too.
A revenue official said that many of the government and private employees have not applied for food security cards. However, businessmen and farmers whose income and land is more than the norm have done so.
