New Delhi, 21 May (H.S.): Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday announced an increase in the annual family income limit for ration card eligibility from ₹1.20 lakh to ₹2.5 lakh.

Addressing a press conference at the Delhi Secretariat, the Chief Minister said the government is continuously working to ensure that ration benefits reach only eligible beneficiaries. She informed that ration cards of 7,71,384 ineligible beneficiaries have been cancelled following a large-scale audit.

According to the Chief Minister, the cancelled ration cards include 1.44 lakh beneficiaries whose income exceeded the prescribed limit, 35,800 individuals who had not collected ration for over a year, 29,580 deceased beneficiaries, and 23,394 duplicate entries.

She further stated that online applications for new ration cards have been open since May 15. The entire application process will be fully digital and biometric-based. Applicants will be required to submit Aadhaar cards, proof of residence, income certificates, and details of family members.

The Chief Minister also said that ration distribution will now be carried out through biometric authentication to ensure transparency and to make sure the full entitlement reaches the rightful beneficiaries.

Rekha Gupta alleged that for the past 13 years, lakhs of poor residents in Delhi were denied the opportunity to obtain new ration cards. She said people continued to make rounds of government offices and appealed to officials and political leaders, yet their ration cards were never issued.

She added that after assuming office, one of the first steps taken by the government was to conduct a comprehensive audit of the ration distribution system. Following the audit, the names of 7,71,384 ineligible beneficiaries were removed from the ration list.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar