Ration Cards Are Not Proof Of Address: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court has declared that a ration card cannot be considered proof of address or residence as it is issued for buying essential commodities from the Public Distribution System (PDS).

Justice Chandra Dhari Singh stated that a ration card is not a reliable document for establishing residence, as per the definition of ‘ration card’ in the National Food Security Act.

The court’s verdict came in response to a case involving three former residents of Delhi’s Kathputli colony, who were seeking alternative accommodation under a rehabilitation scheme after the area was redeveloped.

In 2010, after conducting a survey, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) began the redevelopment of the Colony on a public-private partnership basis. The petitioners, the jhuggi dwellers of Kathputli colony, claimed that the authorities had suddenly changed the eligibility criteria for rehabilitation in 2015 after the colony was demolished.

The DDA had created bodies where the jhuggi dwellers could file their claims seeking rehabilitation, but their claims were rejected as the authorities claimed that jhuggis did not exist and their names were listed as ineligible slum dwellers. One of the petitioners’ claims was rejected on the grounds that he failed to produce a separation ration card. The petitioners approached the High Court to challenge this decision.

The Court noted discrepancies in the DDA”s implementation of the Delhi Slum and JJ Rehabilitation and Relocation Policy, 2015, which wrongly mandated separate ration cards for each floor of the jhuggis in Kathputali colony.

In its ruling, the Court highlighted the limited scope of ration cards, which are solely intended for availing of subsidised food items and do not serve as reliable indicators of residency.

“The term “Ration Card” has been defined in Section 2 (16) of the National Food Security Act, 2013 as a document issued under an order or authority of the State Government for the purchase of essential commodities from the fair price shops under the Targeted Public Distribution System,” said the Court, adding that the document “does not amount to become an identity proof of residence for any Ration Card holder.”

The Delhi High Court ruled in favour of the petitioners, directing the DDA to provide alternative accommodation to the dwellers after they produce relevant documents, deposit the stipulated amount, and meet other requirements. The court also criticised the authorities for their reliance on ration cards as proof of address and urged them to address the plight of marginalised communities more effectively.