The Delhi Cabinet on Tuesday decided to roll back the requirement of Aadhaar cards for distributing ration, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said.
Mr. Sisodia said the Food and Civil Supplies Department had “deviated” from an earlier decision of the Cabinet with regard to implementation of Aadhaar-based ration distribution, resulting in many beneficiaries not getting their rations.
The AAP government had in January linked the Aadhaar information of the beneficiaries of the public distribution system.
“The Cabinet had decided a few months ago to stop the theft of rations and to use point of sale devices. But the department has implemented something else. Till the time we can rectify the issue, the older method of ration distribution would continue,” said Mr. Sisodia.
He added the the Chief Secretary had been asked to prepare a Cabinet note for a proposal to start home delivery of rations to beneficiaries and to implement the same within two months.
The issue of Aadhaar-based ration distribution had become a part of a controversy earlier in the day, with the AAP saying that Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash had been asked about the issue during a meeting at CM Arvind Kejriwal’s residence on Monday. The AAP said 2.5 lakh families had not got their rations last month due to faulty implementation.
Bike ambulances
The Cabinet also approved a pilot project for 16 motorcycle ambulances in east Delhi. Mr. Sisodia said it would be equipped with GPS and medical kits and the riders would be paramedical staff.
