Minister for Civil Supplies Nadendla Manohar displaying the smart ration card at a press conference at the Secretariat in Amaravati on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Andhra Pradesh Minister for Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Nadendla Manohar announced that smart ration cards will be distributed free of cost to 1.45 crore beneficiaries across the State from August 25 to 31.
At a press conference at the Secretariat here on Tuesday, he said the distribution will take place through constituency-level events led by MLAs, district-level programmes by Ministers, and State-wide events under the leadership of the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister.
Andhra Pradesh became the first State in India to complete 96.05% KYC for ration cards. About 11.47 lakh people, aged either under five years or above 80, are exempt from KYC. Out of over 16 lakh change requests in ration cards, more than 15 lakh have been approved, Mr. Manohar said.
Nearly 9.87 lakh new members have been added, bringing the total beneficiary count to 4.29 crore. Of these, 2.68 crore will receive ration from the Centre and 1.61 crore from the State.
The smart cards, similar to debit/credit cards, include the head of household’s photo, member names, and are linked via dynamic QR codes for real-time tracking. From next month, ration shops will operate on a fixed schedule. Home delivery continues for the elderly and physically-challenged pensioners.
The State has also successfully implemented the Deepam-2 LPG subsidy scheme, transferring over ₹1,500 crore directly into beneficiaries’ accounts, the Minister said.
Published – July 29, 2025 09:02 pm IST
