NEW DELHI: The Delhi government will distribute free ration among people without identification documents through MPs and MLAs. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said the government would give 2,000 free ration coupons to each MLA and MP, who can then give the voucher to such city residents. Each coupon holder will be entitled to get 5 kg of free ration.

“There are people in Delhi who do not have any ID cards. Many of them come to Delhi to earn money but now stuck in the city due to the lockdown. To ensure free ration for them, the government has decided to give 2,000 food coupons to each MLA and MP of Delhi across all the political parties,” he said.Kejriwal also announced that from next month, beneficiaries will also get a kit containing other essentials such as salt, chhole, sugar, turmeric, edible oil, soap, spices, and porridge.

“From April 28 or 29, we will also give a kit containing essential items. This kit will be given to everyone who is getting ration — both cardholders and non-cardholders,” he said.

The CM said that the government had already given free ration of 7.5 kg for April to 71 lakh ration cardholders and five kg free ration to 10 lakh non-ration cardholders.

“We have received nearly 38 lakh applications from the non-ration cardholders. The Delhi government has decided to give free ration to around 30 lakh people who do not have ration cards. This way we will give free ration to around one crore people. Delhi has a population of two crores and we will give free ration to half of Delhi’s total population,” the chief minister said.

Briefing about number of coronavirus positive patients in Delhi, Kejriwal said that till Monday, 431 people had recovered and went back home.

He added, “We have also found that 83% of patients who have died had comorbidity which means serious medical conditions like sugar, pressure, kidney disease, cancer among others.”