On August 15, 2026, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy formally began the distribution of new smart ration cards at a public meeting held at Dr. BR Ambedkar Stadium in Sangareddy.
The event marks the start of a simultaneous statewide rollout across Telangana’s districts, covering approximately 1.06 crore ration cards that benefit around 3.42–3.43 crore people. Eligible beneficiaries continue to receive 6 kg of fine rice (sanna biyyam) free of cost each month under the public distribution system.
The smart cards themselves are designed to improve transparency and convenience in the PDS, featuring QR codes and biometric authentication. The launch forms part of the state’s efforts to strengthen food security coverage, which has expanded with the issuance of additional cards since early 2025. Distribution programs were planned to run concurrently in all district headquarters so eligible families across Telangana could receive the updated cards without delay.
Addressing the gathering before handing over cards, CM Revanth Reddy described the ration card as more than a tool for obtaining rice. He called it a document that upholds the self-respect and dignity of poor families, ensuring they can meet their basic needs with pride wherever they go. He credited the Congress party with originating the ration system and said his government draws inspiration from Indira Gandhi’s focus on welfare for the underprivileged.
Mr. Revanth Reddy sharply criticized the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government for not issuing new ration cards and for supplying lower-quality rice that, he claimed, many beneficiaries neither cooked nor consumed. He grouped BRS and BJP leaders together as ‘two faces of the same coin’ and asked whether they had ever considered providing fine rice to the poor. The supply of ‘sanna biyyam’ through the PDS, he said, had also helped bring down open-market rice prices.
The Chief Minister highlighted broader welfare and development efforts despite financial pressures, including the filling of more than 70,000 government posts in roughly 32 months in office and a commitment to issue job notifications every six months. He urged unemployed youth not to believe opposition ‘false campaigns.’
CM Revanth Reddy framed the government’s approach as moving Telangana ‘from destruction to development,’ rejecting rival parties’ claims that power supply would be disrupted if Congress was voted to power, and noted large-scale paddy procurement and support for farmers.
Civil Supplies and Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy, who also spoke, said ration cards would continue to be issued to every eligible family as an ongoing process. He noted that the number of cards had risen substantially from the roughly 89 lakh under the previous BRS government and that the state was distributing rice on a scale unmatched elsewhere in the country, with significant annual expenditure on the program.
Other speakers included Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha, TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud, and district in-charge Minister Vivek Venkataswamy. Before the main event, CM Revanth Reddy unveiled statues of former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Rajiv Gandhi in Sangareddy.
He also made political remarks praising TPCC working president Jayaprakash Reddy (Jagga Reddy) and his wife, stating that any decision on Jagga Reddy contesting from Sangareddy rested with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.