In a major step towards making the Public Distribution System (PDS) more transparent and modern, the Andhra Pradesh government has rolled out a massive programme to distribute smart ration cards to 1.46 crore eligible families across the state, where Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar, Union Minister of State for Rural Development Dr. Pemmasani Chandrasekhar, and MLC Alapati Rajendra Prasad personally handed over the new smart cards to beneficiaries at their doorsteps, on Sunday at Nandivelugu village in Tenali constituency.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister Manohar announced that the distribution of smart ration cards would be completed across the state by September 15. The initiative is expected to benefit nearly four crore people. In Guntur district alone, 5.85 lakh people will receive the cards, including 83,000 beneficiaries from Tenali constituency.

Equipped with QR code technology, the new cards allow instant tracking of transactions. Details of commodities drawn by beneficiaries will be immediately transmitted to the government, ensuring transparency and preventing irregularities. He also reminded that the portability feature would enable cardholders to access ration anywhere in the state.

Despite financial constraints, Manohar said the coalition government under Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan was determined to effectively implement welfare schemes. Highlighting initiatives such as the Deepam-2 scheme, which assures three free LPG cylinders per year to women, he urged party workers to deliver welfare benefits across political lines. Citizens with queries on ration distribution were advised to contact the toll-free helpline 1967.

Union Minister Dr. Pemmasani Chandrasekhar hailed Andhra Pradesh as the first state in the country to introduce smart ration cards, calling it a matter of pride. He stressed that the coalition government was prioritising both welfare and development, citing the hike of pensions to Rs.4,000, the Rs.10,000 crore allocation under Thalliki Vandanam, and the disbursal of Rs.3,175 crore to farmers under Annadata Sukhibhava.

He further pointed out that the government had expedited works on Amaravati and Polavaram, while also focusing on road construction and repairs across the state. Recalling his election campaign days, he noted that roads leading to Nandivelugu were once in poor condition but had since been upgraded under the coalition’s development push.