COVID-19 Lockdown: Afraid Of Running Out Of Supplies, Hyderabad Residents Without Ration Cards Demand Essential Goods

The Telangana government, which had promised 12 kg of rice through the Public Distribution System (PDS) for ration card holders, is yet to decide on the distribution of essentials to those without a ration card.

"There are over 40 families in my locality who don't have ration cards, including my family. I had applied for a ration card before the Telangana state elections in December 2018," The News Minute quoted Syed Mihraj, an auto driver as saying. Syed has been sitting idle at home ever since the lockdown.

Syed, along with other residents of his locality at Shaheen Nagar in Bismillah Colony of Hyderabad stepped out on Monday, April 6, to demand essential goods, afraid they might run out of supplies soon.

The list of Public Distribution System (PDS) scheme beneficiaries in the state was last updated in 2017, like in the rest of the country, and since then, an estimated 1.30 lakh people have applied for ration cards in Hyderabad alone.

"There are over 77,000 pending ration card applications as of January 2020 in Hyderabad. Every district in the state has application pendency, with total running into a few lakhs," a department official said.

Another resident of Shaheen Nagar, Shiek Chand Pasha, claimed that when the residents approached their local corporator, he refused to assist them.

"The corporator said he cannot do anything and asked us to speak to the Food and Civil Supplies department. We cannot even step out of our locality, then how will we go to their office with a grievance? Most of the residents here are labourers, some involved in construction and artisan work. Since the lockdown, our earnings have completely stopped," Sheik said.

Activist Yuvaneswari, who is working with dwellers in Miyapur slum in Hyderabad to ensure supply of essentials, said, "Out of the 222 families we provided essential goods, 200 of them don't have ration cards. We later identified another 103 without ration cards."

Food and Civil Supplies Commissioner P Satyanarayana Reddy said that a total of 87.55 lakh ration cards have been issued for applications that have been verified.

"When people apply for a ration card, there is a verification process, which consists of different levels. It is a time-consuming process," he said.

According to officials, the ration card applications are still in pending as the applicants are either not in the city at the time of the verification, or no longer live at the address provided.

In states like Kerala, however, someone without a ration card can avail 15 kg of rice from Fair Price (ration) shops just by using an affidavit submitted by the eldest family member.

In Delhi, the government has identified 6.5 lakh people with pending ration card applications, and are issuing them e-coupons to avail rations.

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