Karnataka may hike ration card income limit as costs rise

At present, a family's annual income has to be below Rs 1.2 lakh to avail ration card benefits.

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government told the Assembly on Thursday that it will consider setting a higher limit on the annual income of a family for the purpose of identifying Priority Households (PHH), which are given ration cards.

At present, to be identified as a PHH, the family's annual income has to be below Rs 1.2 lakh.

“This income limit was fixed in 2017. We’re now in 2026. There’s a need to revise this. It must be re-examined,” Health & Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said, replying to Malleshwaram BJP MLA Dr CN Ashwath Narayan.

Rao was responding on behalf of Food & Civil Supplies Minister KH Muniyappa.

“The Karnataka Administrative Reforms Commission under (senior lawmaker) RV Deshpande has recommended increasing the income ceiling to Rs 3 lakh. The department will look into this,” Rao, a former food and civil supplies minister, said.

Earlier, Narayan demanded a higher income limit as the cost of living in Bengaluru had risen. Citing the Food Security Act, Narayan said that 50% of the urban population should get PHH or Antyodaya cards.

Karnataka has 1.24 crore households having the PHH or ration cards, Rao said. “The Centre has identified 1.09 crore eligible families in Karnataka. But the state has exceeded this by 15.8 lakh families,” Rao said, adding that the ‘50% urban coverage’ clause cited by Narayan was applicable to the entire country and not state-wise. “In some rural areas, 95% of the population is covered,” he said.

‘Ration cards in demand’

The PHH or ration card, which is still referred to as the Below Poverty Line (BPL) card, is in demand as it has become the basis for “almost everything”, Rao said.

“That’s why even ineligible people have obtained the card, which should be used only for food supplies. However, people use the card to avail healthcare benefits,” Rao said.