Guwahati: The Chief Minister of Assam has inaugurated the selection process for 19,92,167 new beneficiaries under the Food Security Act, initiating the issuance of ration cards. The National Food Security Act of 2013 aims to ensure food security for India’s population, providing free rice to over 800 million people nationwide. In Assam, 2,31,97,608 beneficiaries currently receive free rice under the Prime Minister’s Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), covering 66,86,845 households.
The scheme offers two types of cards based on financial status: the Antodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) card and the Priority Household (PHH) card.
According to the 2011 census, the Union Government set a target of 2,51,89,775 beneficiaries for Assam under the Food Security Act. To meet this target, an additional 19,92,167 individuals need to be included.
The state government has distributed the new beneficiary targets among districts, with quotas set based on the number of Assembly constituencies in each district. District Commissioners will select beneficiaries based on their socio-economic status, and the new ration cards will be issued. All selected beneficiaries in this phase will fall under the PHH category.
Interested applicants can submit forms as per the Assam Food Security Rules 2022. The Verification Committee at the Gaon Panchayat or Municipality level will prepare the beneficiary list, which will then be approved by the District Commissioner, Parent Minister, and Chief Executive Member of the Council. These details will be digitized in the Ration Card Management System (RCMS).
The process began on September 19, 2024, under the supervision of the Food, Public Distribution, and Consumer Affairs Department across all districts and sub-divisions. Applications for the new beneficiaries are open from September.
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