Cabinet increases income cap to apply for ration card to ₹1.2 lakh

The Delhi Cabinet has approved a proposal to raise the annual household income limit from ₹1 lakh to ₹1.2 lakh for applying for a ration card, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) stated on Saturday.

Under the new rules, families will be ineligible for ration cards if they own property in A to E category colonies, pay income tax, own a four-wheeler (unless it is a commercial vehicle used for earning a living), have a government employee in the family, or hold a power connection exceeding 2 kilowatts.

The CMO also stated that an income certificate from the Revenue Department is now required to apply for a ration card, ending the previous self-certification system.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the ‘first come, first served’ system has been discontinued and applications will be examined, approved, and prioritised through district-level committees.

The district-level committee will decide which families get priority. It will be led by the District Magistrate or Additional District Magistrate and will include the local MLA and other officials. “The committee will scrutinise applications and arrange them in order of priority so that the most deserving families receive benefits first. Additionally, a waiting list of 20% of applicants will also be prepared to ensure that vacancies are filled in a timely manner,” the Chief Minister said.

The policy decisions regarding ration cards were taken in a recent Cabinet meeting headed by Ms. Gupta to make Delhi’s food security system more equitable and focused, the CMO stated.

Pending applications

According to official data, due to the absence of clear rules, 3,89,883 applications for ration cards have remained pending in Delhi, and 11,65,965 people are still waiting for food security benefits.

The CMO stated that more than eight lakh ration card slots are vacant and will be allotted soon.

(With inputs from PTI)