Income cap for ration card raised to Rs 1.2 lakh in Delhi, ‘first-come, first-serve’ basis no longer applicable

Highlighting that a thorough verification process will be undertaken, the CM said that the ‘first-come, first-served’ system for availing benefits under the food security system will now be discontinued. To ensure that the most needy families are placed higher on the list, applications will be examined, approved, and prioritised through district-level committees, officials quoted her as saying.

She explained that the district-level committee has been designated as the central unit for priority determination. It will be chaired by the District Magistrate (DM) or Additional District Magistrate (ADM) and will include the local MLA and officials concerned. The committee will scrutinise applications and arrange them in order of priority so that the most deserving families receive benefits first. Additionally, a 20 % waiting list will also be prepared to ensure that vacancies are filled in a timely manner, said officials.

According to the official data, over 11,65,965 people are still waiting for food security benefits while more than 3,89,883 ration card applications have remained pending in Delhi. “Those who are eligible will now be included in a transparent, need-based system,” said the CM, adding that the government is taking steps to make the public distribution system more fair, transparent and accessible to the poor.

Under the new rules, families will not be eligible if they own property in A to E category colonies in Delhi, which are upscale localities; pay income tax; own a four-wheeler (excluding one commercial vehicle used for livelihood); have any family member in government service, or have an electricity connection exceeding 2 kilowatts.

As per the data shared by the CM’s Office, in the ongoing ration card verification process, nearly 10%, or 6.52 lakh beneficiaries, currently availing free ration under the Public Distribution System (PDS) have been found to be ineligible for the scheme. Of these, 96,000 beneficiaries own private cars, as per the data. About 95,682 individuals had remained in the system for a long time without availing any benefits. Nearly 23,394 duplicate names were found, while in 6,185 cases benefits were recorded in the names of deceased persons.

Around 56,372 people had themselves requested to opt out of the system, according to officials. Owing to all these reasons, a total of more than 8,27,756 vacancies were created, said the CM’s Office. These vacant slots will now be filled by those who have been waiting for years for ration cards or food security coverage, officials said.

“This is not merely a document of rules, but a guarantee of dignity, transparency, and trust for Delhi’s most vulnerable sections. The government is committed to ensuring that no needy person goes hungry and that the food security system truly works on the principle of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’,” said Gupta.