Doorstep delivery of ration in Delhi likely from March 25

Delhi food and supplies minister Imran Hussain said the service will first be rolled out in 100 households in Seemapuri and then extended to other areas across the city from April 1.

Delhi government’s ambitious doorstep delivery of ration scheme is likely to be launched on March 25 by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, senior officials said on Thursday. The scheme, named Mukhya Mantri Ghar Ghar Ration Yojana, will be first rolled out in the Seemapuri area of north-east Delhi’s Shahdara district.

On January 25, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said the scheme will be operational by March. (Bachchan Kumar/ HT PHOTO)

Delhi food and supplies minister Imran Hussain said the service will first be rolled out in 100 households in Seemapuri and then extended to other areas across the city from April 1.

On January 25, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said the scheme will be operational by March. The project was cleared by the Delhi Cabinet in March 2018 but could not be rolled out because of several administrative issues, some of which even led to stand-offs between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and officials in charge of the department.

The scheme, which will be an optional service, can potentially make monthly ration more accessible to 1.75 million households in the capital, exempting families from long queues at fair price shops.

“The food and supplies department is currently identifying the first 100 households in Seemapuri zone where ration will be home delivered. These 100 households will be covered in a week’s time after which, from April 1 the scheme will be expanded to cover more areas such as New Delhi and Ballimaran (old Delhi) to name a few. Additional zones will be included on a weekly basis,” a senior official from the department said.

On February 20, the Delhi government notified a policy document prescribing the modalities of the doorstep delivery of ration scheme.

“The beneficiaries of the existing TPDS [targeted public distribution system] in Delhi will be asked whether they want to enrol under the scheme or continue getting their ration from the Fair Price shops. Those who will not opt for the scheme shall continue to get their ration as per the existing mechanism and price. Beneficiaries will be able allowed to change their mode of getting ration in the beginning of every financial year,” read the notified document, which HT has seen.

It further said foodgrains will be collected from food corporation godowns by agencies empanelled by the government and sent to mills where grains such as wheat will be processed into flour and packed. Similarly, there will be units for the cleaning and packing of rice too. The packets will be delivered to fair price shops and from thereon to residences of beneficiaries who opt for the scheme.

The beneficiaries will have to register the receipt of the ration with their fingerprints on the biometric-based electronic point-of-sales (e-POS) machines, which representatives of the agencies entrusted with doorstep delivery will carry. The entire operation will be monitored from the godown stage to the doorstep through CCTV cameras, GPS-fitted vehicles, e-POS logs, etc, said the document.

Delhi has 1.75 million ration cardholders, which translates to 7.16 million beneficiaries, according to authorities. Of the total ration card holders, 1.51 million are covered under the priority household category of the National Food Security Act, 2013, while 0.17 million are covered under the priority state household category, and the remaining 0.07 million come under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana, show government records.

While those under the first two categories are entitled to 5kg of foodgrains a month, those under the third category are entitled to 25kg wheat, 10kg rice and 1kg sugar every month. These items are distributed to them from 2,010 fair price shops that are currently functional across the city.