New Delhi: Delhi govt has notified a major increase in the income ceiling for ration card applications, a move aimed at expanding the food security network in the capital.The annual family income eligibility limit for inclusion under the priority household (PHH) category of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) has been raised from Rs 1.2 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh. The move is expected to widen access to subsidised foodgrains for more low-income families in Delhi.With the revised ceiling, families earning up to around Rs 20,800 a month can now apply for a ration card, provided they meet other eligibility criteria, such as not owning a car or a pucca house.The change was notified by the department of food, supplies and consumer affairs through Delhi Food Security (Amendment) Rules, 2026, published in the Delhi Gazette, and came into effect on July 13.“The revised threshold is aimed at bringing the eligibility criteria in line with prevailing income levels and extending food security benefits to a larger section of economically weaker households that were previously excluded because of the lower income cap,” an official said.Delhi govt recently removed more than 2.3 lakh invalid ration cards, following an intensive audit to clean up the beneficiary database. Officials said many of these cards had been issued years ago and the beneficiaries’ incomes had changed over time, making them ineligible under the existing norms.According to officials, the deleted records included 1.44 lakh beneficiaries who no longer met the income criteria but continued to hold ration cards, 35,800 beneficiaries who had not been lifting their ration, 29,580 deceased beneficiaries whose names were still on the rolls and 23,394 duplicate ration cards. Delhi currently has around 15 lakh active ration card holders receiving subsidised foodgrains through the public distribution system.Under NFSA, beneficiaries under the PHH category are entitled to 5 kg of foodgrains per person every month at highly subsidised rates through the public distribution system, while families covered under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana receive 35 kg of foodgrains per family every month. In Delhi, these benefits are distributed through nearly 2,000 fair price shops.
