With 1000’s of migrants headed again to their cities and villages amid lockdown-like restrictions in a number of massive cities, the federal government on Friday mentioned it was restarting the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY) to offer extra 5 kg of foodgrains monthly free to beneficiaries lined by the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013.
The new model of the scheme doesn’t, nevertheless, embrace an necessary element of final yr’s PM-GKAY – 1 kg pulses monthly free to every family underneath the NFSA.
The Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution mentioned the extra foodgrains will likely be offered to particular person beneficiaries of the NFSA for the 2 months of May and June.
“Under this special scheme (PM-GKAY), around 80 crore NFSA beneficiaries covered under both categories of NFSA, namely Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Householders (PHH), will be provided with an additional quota of free-of-cost foodgrains (Rice/Wheat) at a scale of 5 kg per person per month, over and above their regular monthly entitlements under NFSA,” the Ministry mentioned.
“Government of India will bear full expenditure of over Rs 26,000 crore on account of cost of foodgrains, intra-state transportation, etc. as part of central assistance to States/UTs,” it mentioned.
The Ministry mentioned the choice to allocate free foodgrains to NFSA beneficiaries was in keeping with “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to the poor”.
The announcement comes after governments of Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Kerala, and several other Opposition leaders together with NCP chief Sharad Pawar, senior Trinamool MP Sougata Ray, and CPI Rajya Sabha member Binoy Viswam, wrote to the Centre.
