HYDERABAD : District Collector Mukesh Kumar Meena announced on Friday that the process of application for Food Security Cards (FSC) in the district would begin on October 13. The new cards would replace white ration cards for families below poverty line (BPL), while pink ration cards would cease to be eligible after FSC are disbursed.
“We expect around eight lakh applicants, including existing card holders, to apply for FSC. Application can be made at fair price shops,” he said. There are 850 fair prices shops in Hyderabad district where applicants should provide name, address and Aadhaar details.
Mr. Meena said these details would suffice for application, and applicants have to furnish supporting documents only when field staffs from the Revenue and the Civil Supplies Department come to their addresses for enquiry. “Only if a person is found eligible during an enquiry and verification, the FS card would be issued,” he said adding that registration process which begins on October 13 would continue up to October 20. The enquiry process would be taken up after October 20 following which the card distribution may take 45 days, the Collector informed.
The district administration at mandal levels would also set up counters for issue of various certificates, including caste and income.
When asked how data from the household survey conducted in August by Telangana government and the issue of nativity, would affect eligibility for FSC, Mr. Meena said details are yet to emerge on these issues.
“The household survey data would be used at the stage of verification. We are yet to get details on nativity. We are also awaiting details on eligibility criterion for FS scheme. These details would emerge by Saturday,” he said.
Mr. Meena added that eligibility criterion details are important at the stage of enquiry and not at the stage of application. The Food Security Act, 2013, passed by the previous UPA government allows every eligible person to monthly purchase of five kg of cereals at subsidised prices.
