Simultaneous distribution programmes will be conducted across all 119 Assembly constituencies
Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy will launch the distribution of newly sanctioned laminated smart ration cards on August 15, coinciding with the 79th Independence Day.
The state-level inaugural programme will be held in Sangareddy, where the Chief Minister will formally commence the distribution, according to an office memorandum issued by Irrigation, food and civil supplies minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy.
Simultaneous distribution programmes will be conducted across all 119 Assembly constituencies. Each programme will be coordinated by a designated revenue divisional officer (RDO) with support from the district administration and the civil supplies department.
“Since the Independence Day flag hoisting celebrations will be held during the morning hours and the Chief Minister is required to attend the At Home function at Raj Bhavan at 5.30 pm, all constituency-level ration card distribution programmes shall be conducted between 2 pm and 4 pm on August 15,” the minister said in the memorandum.
The government said the physical smart ration cards would also facilitate families with active ration cards in obtaining the Family Register Certificate (FRC), a document accepted by the Election Commission in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the State.
Telangana has over 1.05 crore families with ration cards. The state began distributing three months’ ration rice — covering August, September and October — in a single phase from August 1 to August 31 through Fair Price Shops. Eligible beneficiaries receive 18 kg per person under the fine rice scheme. The government has also extended the deadline for mandatory biometric e-KYC verification to August 31.
The state had earlier introduced the Telangana FRC to address documentation issues faced by voters during the SIR process. The certificate is among the 12 officially accepted documents for verification. Beneficiaries can apply through MeeSeva centres, the online portal, or the mobile application. Any adult member listed on the ration card can submit the request, and the certificate is issued within two working days after verification by the Tahsildar against the food security database.
