Telangana CM Reddy launches smart ration cards for 10.5 million families

Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy launched new smart ration cards targeting 10.5 million eligible families, featuring QR-based access and other features.

Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday launched the distribution of new smart ration cards, targeting 10.5 million eligible families across the state.

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy launches the distribution of smart ration cards at a public meeting in Sangareddy. (@revanth_anumula X)

The credit-card-sized PVC smart ration cards are compact, durable, waterproof tear-resistant smart cards, featuring an encrypted QR code alongside nine advanced security elements to prevent duplication.

The new cards display the cardholder’s name, address and photograph, with a QR code providing access to details of family members and transaction history of commodities such as rice, sugar and wheat.

Beneficiaries can access rations through QR code, biometrics

Launching the cards at a public meeting in Sangareddy, Revanth Reddy said the card was not merely a document enabling people to procure rice but represented of poor families’ self-respect and dignity .

“Wherever they go, they have the assurance that their hunger can be addressed,” the chief minister said.

He said the ration system itself had been introduced by the Congress and asserted that his government was drawing inspiration from former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in implementing welfare programmes for the poor.

Stating that his government was supplying fine quality rice to the poor families through the public distribution system, claimed that the decision of the government to distribute fine rice through ration shops had also contributed to a drop in rice prices in the open market.

‘BJP never thought of supplying quality rice’: Revanth Reddy

Revanth Reddy alleged that the opposition BRS and BJP had never ever thought of supplying quality rice to the consumers. He also hit out at critics who had predicted that power supply would deteriorate if the Congress came to power. “They said that if Congress came to power, there would be no electricity. Did the power supply stop anywhere?” he asked.

Civil supplies minister Uttam Kumar Reddy said since January 26, 2025, the state has issued 16,32,810 new Food Security Cards. These cards cover 61,08,544 beneficiaries.