Delhi increases ration card income eligibility to Rs 2.5 lakh; over 7.72 lakh cards cancelled - DETAILS

Delhi has revised its ration card eligibility framework, increasing the annual income ceiling to Rs 2.5 lakh, while also carrying out a large-scale verification exercise that led to cancellation of over 7.72 lakh ration cards in the national capital.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta announced the decision on Thursday during a press conference, stating that the government has been working on cleaning the beneficiary database to ensure that only eligible households continue to receive subsidised ration benefits.

As part of the verification drive, authorities identified and removed 1.44 lakh beneficiaries who did not meet the income eligibility criteria, 35,800 individuals who had not received ration, 29,580 deceased beneficiaries, and 23,394 duplicate ration cards, reflecting a major cleanup of the public distribution system.

Delhi currently maintains an annual income eligibility cap of Rs 1.2 lakh for ration card holders, a threshold that officials say has remained unchanged for years. The government also highlighted that no new ration cards had been issued in the city for the past 13 years, contributing to the need for a comprehensive review of the system.

The move is aimed at widening access to subsidised food support for economically weaker households while ensuring that ineligible beneficiaries are filtered out through stricter verification norms. The proposal to revise the income limit will be placed before the next Cabinet meeting for approval before implementation across Delhi.

The ration card system in Delhi plays a crucial role in ensuring food security for millions of residents under subsidised public distribution schemes. Officials said the recent audit was carried out using digital records and cross-verification of beneficiary data to improve transparency and reduce leakage in the system.

With the cancellation of invalid cards, the government has invited fresh online applications to ensure that eligible households can be added back into the system without delays. The move is expected to streamline beneficiary identification and improve the efficiency of ration distribution across the capital. Officials also indicated that stricter verification measures will be adopted going forward to prevent duplication and ensure real-time updates of beneficiary records.

Overall, the decision marks a significant policy update aimed at balancing inclusion and system integrity within Delhi’s welfare distribution network. By raising the income threshold and removing outdated or duplicate entries, the government aims to make the ration card system more efficient, transparent and better targeted toward genuine beneficiaries in need of subsidised food support. Officials said the Cabinet will take a final call on implementation timeline in the coming meeting before rollout begins across Delhi shortly thereafter.