Rekha Gupta led Delhi Government Expands Ration Card Eligibility; Annual Income Limit Increased to ₹2.5 Lakh.

Hon’ble Food & Supplies Minister Shri Manjinder Singh Sirsa Announces Delhi Cabinet Decision

• Lakhs of Families Across Delhi Under the PDS Category Will be Benefited
• Delhi Government to Introduce CBDC-Based Smart Ration Distribution System for Greater Transparency and Consumer Choice
• “Earlier, the income eligibility for ration cards was very low. In today’s times, even an annual income of ₹1 lakh is below the level of minimum wages for a family. Keeping this in mind, the Smt. Rekha Gupta led Delhi Government has increased the income limit to ₹2.5 lakh so that more deserving families can avail the benefits of subsidised ration under the PDS system.” – Hon’ble Minister Shri Manjinder Singh Sirsa
• Move Follows Hon’ble Chief Minister Smt Rekha Gupta’s Recent Announcement to Strengthen Food Security and Welfare Delivery

New Delhi, May 2026: Under the leadership of Hon’ble Chief Minister Smt Rekha Gupta, the Delhi Government has instituted numerous welfare measures having a positive impact on the lives of the economically challenged citizens. In a major welfare-oriented decision aimed at expanding food security coverage in the national capital, the Delhi Cabinet has approved a proposal to increase the annual income eligibility limit for ration cards from ₹1.2 lakh to ₹2.5 lakh under the Public Distribution System (PDS). The decision is expected to benefit lakhs of families across Delhi who were previously excluded due to the lower income threshold.

The Cabinet Decision follows the recent announcement made by Hon’ble Chief Minister Rekha Gupta regarding the enhancement of the income ceiling for ration card eligibility in Delhi. The income eligibility limit has been hiked from the earlier ₹ 1 lakh to ₹1.2 lakh and now to ₹2.5 lakh to benefit more and more low-income households. Speaking on the Cabinet decision, Hon’ble Minister for Food & Supplies Shri Manjinder Singh Sirsa said, “Earlier, the income eligibility for ration cards was very low. In today’s times, even an annual income of ₹1 lakh is below the level of minimum wages for a family. Keeping this in mind, the Smt. Rekha Gupta led Delhi Government has increased the income limit to ₹2.5 lakh so that more deserving families can avail the benefits of subsidised ration under the PDS system.”

The Hon’ble Minister said, “The Delhi Government under Hon’ble Chief Minister Smt Rekha Gupta is also working towards implementing a CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currency) – enabled ration distribution mechanism. Under this system, financial assistance for ration will be directly deposited into beneficiaries’ accounts, enabling them to purchase ration as needed through digital currency at ration shops. This will enhance transparency and eliminate mismanagement in the system.”

The Hon’ble Minister said that the proposed CBDC-based model will gradually be operationalised at ration shops and integrated with banking systems, including private banks in the future. The initiative is aimed at ensuring efficient delivery of benefits, reducing leakages, and empowering beneficiaries with greater flexibility and dignity in accessing food supplies.

CBDC in the PDS system refers to the use of Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC/e₹) as the mode for delivering food subsidy benefits to beneficiaries, rather than relying solely on physical foodgrain distribution through Fair Price Shops (FPS) or unrestricted cash transfers into bank accounts. CBDC is a digital form of sovereign currency issued by the Reserve Bank of India and has the same legal status as physical currency. Under the proposed CBDC-based PDS model, the Government will calculate the subsidy equivalent of entitled foodgrains and transfer the amount into the beneficiary’s CBDC wallet. Beneficiaries will then be able to purchase ration from authorised FPS outlets after authentication through Aadhaar/e-PoS systems, with all transactions digitally recorded and reconciled for greater accountability.

CBDC-enabled PDS model is expected to make the system more transparent, portable and citizen-friendly. The mechanism will provide beneficiaries with greater flexibility in choosing authorised outlets, real-time visibility of subsidy entitlement and transaction history, and a stronger grievance redressal framework through digitally traceable records. The model is also expected to reduce disputes at FPS levels, strengthen audit trails, improve subsidy utilisation monitoring and simplify reconciliation processes.