Hyderabad: Following the West Bengal BJP government’s cancellation of ration cards during the special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral roll — which deemed over 90 lakh voters ineligible earlier this year — anxiety has spread among PDS beneficiaries in Telangana. Social media is abuzz with messages urging people to update their e‑KYC this month or risk losing their food security cards.
Influencers, political parties and even some officials have circulated appeals and video clips calling on families to complete biometric verification. “Telangana Ration Card Holders – Important e‑KYC Update! Failure to complete e‑KYC may result in interruption of ration benefits,” read one widely shared message from Abid Tanveer. AIMIM MLAs, including Yakutpura legislator Jaffar Hussain Meraj, urged constituents to finish the process by June 20, while special help desks were set up in circles such as Mehdipatnam.
Civil Supplies officials, however, ruled out cancellation at this stage, clarifying that e‑KYC remains open without deadlines. “There is panic following news from West Bengal. No such orders were issued here. From July, officials will again be busy with ration distribution — having already distributed three months’ quota in April — and want systems in place before resumption,” an official said.
Records show that since Telangana’s formation, 4,11,306 ration cards were cancelled, while 22,97,264 were issued, including 16,26,255 under the present Congress government, according to RTI data filed by Shashi Kumar of Yugantar.
In April, when three months’ ration was distributed at one go, 92 per cent of beneficiaries received PDS rice. Of 1.05 crore cards, 97.24 lakh were availed, with 41.57 lakh beneficiaries opting for portability — accounting for 2.93 crore transactions.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
