Delhi resumes new ration card process after 13 years, urges eligible to apply

Delhi CM Rekha Gupta announced new ration card issuance has resumed after 13 years. Applications are online via the e-District portal. The move follows an audit that removed 7.72 lakh bogus beneficiaries, creating vacancies for the needy.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday announced that the process of issuing new ration cards has resumed on a large scale from May 15, ending a wait of nearly 13 years.

Addressing a press conference at the Delhi Secretariat, she urged eligible and needy families to apply and said the Delhi Government is implementing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Antyodaya vision to ensure that welfare benefits reach those who genuinely need them the most.

The Chief Minister said online applications for new ration cards and for adding family members have been opened through the e-District portal from May 15. Older applications submitted in the past have also been returned to applicants through their login profiles. Applicants can update and resubmit them with a valid family income certificate and other required documents.

Audit Uncovers Large-Scale Irregularities

Chief Minister Gupta said the government carried out a comprehensive audit of the public distribution system after assuming office, which uncovered large-scale irregularities. A total of 7,71,384 ineligible and bogus beneficiaries were identified. Of these, 6,46,123 beneficiaries were found to be above the prescribed income limit and therefore ineligible for subsidised ration. Another 95,682 beneficiaries had not availed a ration for more than a year. In 6,185 cases, the names of deceased persons continued to remain on ration records, while 23,394 beneficiaries were found to be drawing benefits from multiple locations, according to an official release. With these ineligible names removed, nearly 7.72 lakh vacancies have opened up in the system, paving the way for new eligible beneficiaries to receive ration cards, it further added.

Fresh Opportunity for Pending Applicants

The Chief Minister said 3,72,367 applications for new ration cards and 99,501 applications for inclusion of family members are currently pending. Since applicants' residence, income and eligibility status may have changed over time, all applicants will be given an opportunity to apply afresh under the latest eligibility norms.

Modernisation of Public Distribution System

CM Rekha Gupta said the Delhi Government has implemented the Delhi Food Security Rules, 2026, giving effect to the provisions of the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013. As part of the reforms, ration distribution has been modernised through extensive use of technology. Traditional weighing machines at fair-price shops are being replaced with electronic weighing machines, while biometric authentication has been made mandatory. Ration will no longer be distributed without biometric verification, a move aimed at eliminating complaints of under-weighing and reducing leakages. All ration card-related services, including fresh applications and addition or deletion of family members, have now been shifted online. Citizens can apply either from home or through nearby facilitation centres.

New Verification and Application Framework

According to the Chief Minister, these measures will make the system more transparent, accountable, technology-driven and beneficiary-focused, ensuring that food security benefits reach only eligible households. The Chief Minister noted that earlier, family income details were accepted largely on the basis of self-declarations, allowing ineligible individuals to enter the system while genuine beneficiaries were often left out. Under the new framework, applicants will have to submit Aadhaar cards, proof of residence, the latest income certificate and Aadhaar details of all family members. This, she said, will help ensure accurate verification and prevent misuse of welfare benefits.

Robust Digital and Administrative Verification

To curb corruption and irregularities, the government has put in place a robust digital and administrative verification mechanism. In the first stage, Food and Supply Officers will digitally scrutinise applications and documents, with field verification conducted wherever necessary. In the second stage, verified applications will be examined by the Assistant Commissioner. The final decision will be taken by a district-level committee headed by the District Magistrate and comprising two local MLAs. Once approved, ration cards will be generated digitally and can be downloaded directly from the portal.

The Chief Minister said the new online system will enhance transparency, accountability and administrative efficiency while sparing citizens the need to make repeated visits to government offices. "This is not merely an administrative reform. It is our commitment to ensuring food security and a life of dignity for every needy family in Delhi," she said.

Income Eligibility Limit Increased

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the annual family income eligibility limit for ration cards has already been increased from ₹1 lakh to ₹1.20 lakh under the Delhi Food Security Rules, 2026, with the objective of bringing more poor and middle-class families under the welfare net. She added that the government is considering raising the limit further to ₹2.50 lakh. Discussions at the Cabinet level have been positive, and a final decision is expected soon.

Minister Slams Previous Governments

Speaking on the occasion, Delhi Food and Civil Supplies Minister Sardar Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji and the leadership of Chief Minister Rekha Gupta Ji, the government has taken several landmark welfare-oriented decisions over the past year and a quarter. "For 13 years, the rights of Delhi's poor remained effectively locked away. Previous governments turned the ration system into a vehicle for politics and corruption. The process of issuing new ration cards had virtually come to a standstill, depriving lakhs of deserving families of their rightful benefits. Our government is committed to replacing that system with a transparent and people-centric mechanism so that every eligible person receives their entitlement with dignity," Minister said. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)