GO on white cards with increased income limit soon: AP CM

Hyderabad, June 28 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy today asked the Civil Supplies Corporation to replenish stocks for the Rs 2-a-kg rice scheme as per the increased income limit to be supplied to all BPL white card holding families.

In a telephonic review with CMO officials regarding issue of new ration cards and public distribution issues, Dr Reddy, presently camping in Idupulapaya, said the GO with regard to the increased income limit for white cards would be issued soon, though there might be some reservations from the Planning Commission. The Chief Minister, however, was confident of convincing the Planning Commission.

He said the State was ready to bear the additional burden caused by increasing the income limit since it was to help the low income group along with the poor. Vigilance should be further strengthened with regard to Public Distribution System, he added.

Andhra Pradesh is the only State to issue white ration cards to BPL families with the increased income limit of Rs 60,000 and Rs 75,000 in rural and urban areas, an official release here said.

The Civil Supplies Department earlier informed the Chief Minister that the Projected Population of Andhra Pradesh in 2008, according to the Bureau of Economics and Statistics, was 8,41,07,104, while the total units in the ration cards issued were 8,43,75,650. This showed excess units over the projected population as 2,68,546. The districts with excess units than population mainly were Visakhapatnam, Guntur, Nellore, Anantapur, Chittoor, Ranga Reddy, Hyderabad and Mahabubnagar.

UNI VA GD 1745