Delhi Government Has Cancelled 08 Lakh Ration Cards, Issued Only 2 Lakh New Ones.

New Delhi; May 2026: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) yesterday (Monday – 18th May 2026) has revealed that the BJP government’s plan to issue 02 lakh new ration cards in Delhi would actually reduce the total number of ration cards in the city from 72 lakhs to 66 lakhs.

Senior AAP leader and Burari MLA Sanjeev Jha said the government was first cancelling 08 lakh ration cards belonging to poor and marginalised families before issuing 02 lakh new ones. He asserted that the move would revive the old ‘Jiski Pahunch, Uska Kaam’ system after scrapping the earlier First In First Out model introduced by the AAP government, according to the release. The senior AAP leader has said that the Delhi government claims it will issue 02 lakh new ration cards. “What should ideally happen is that there are already 72 lakhs ration cards, and after adding 02 lakhs new cards, the total

should reach 74 lakh. That means the government should cross the existing cap of 72 lakh and issue 74 lakh ration cards.

But information coming to us suggests that this is not happening. Instead, 08 lakh ration cards are first being cancelled and then only 02 lakh new ration cards are being issued”. The AAP MLA affirmed, “This is a bizarre game. There were 72 lakhs ration cards. The government cancelled 08 lakhs of them, reducing the number to 64 lakhs, and is now issuing only 02 lakh new ration cards. Logically, 08 lakhs new ration cards should have been issued”.

He stated, “All the 08 lakhs ration cards that have been cancelled belong to poor people. The BJP government should explain why these 08 lakh ration cards were cancelled. Instead, the government is only trying to take credit for issuing 2 lakh new ration cards”.

Referring to an earlier notification regarding pensions for senior citizens, Sanjeev Jha added, “Earlier, the government had issued a notification for making pensions for senior citizens. But when the pension process began, no ordinary citizen could apply. Even applications could not be made through MLA offices. Applications were submitted only through minister’s IDs”. He noted, “Across Delhi, a sort of marketplace has opened up where some people charged Rs.10,000, some Rs.15,000, and others Rs.20,000, after which applications were submitted using minister’s IDs. This means that no ordinary or genuinely needy person actually got a pension”.

Raising concerns over the ration card process, he continued, “Will something similar now happen with ration cards as well? Before the AAP government came to power in Delhi, there used to be massive  irregularities in ration cards, and a similar market had emerged where only those who paid money would get ration cards made. The AAP government introduced a system based on ‘FIFO’ (First In First Out). Whoever applied first would get their ration card first. Nobody needed recommendations or influence. You simply had to apply, and the software itself would process applications according to the queue. No one could manipulate it even if they wanted to”.

The AAP MLA emphasised, “Now the BJP government has come to power, and the first thing they did was remove the FIFO system. This means that now only those with connections will get ration cards, while those without influence will not. As a result, poor people will not get ration cards. Once again, a marketplace has opened up where these people will extort as much money as they can. Whoever pays

will get a ration card, and whoever does not pay will not. This means ration cards are now being cancelled only so that corruption can take place in the issuance of new ration cards and their loot can continue”.

Appealing to Delhi CM Rekha Gupta, Sanjeev Jha said, “At least spare the poor. Poor people voted with great hopes, so why is the government now kicking them in the stomach? If poor people are exploited and harassed, their suffering carries consequences. A person who depends on government rationing through a ration card is among the poorest sections of society. Therefore, the Aam Aadmi Party hopes that at least such people will be spared by this government”.

Team Maverick.