The Union Cabinet has given the nod for the extension of the Garib Kalyan Food Grain Program for an additional five years. The decision, announced on Wednesday, entails the government continuing to provide free grains to eligible citizens through the public distribution scheme.
The food grain initiative, officially known as the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), was initially launched at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to alleviate the hardships faced by economically disadvantaged individuals due to the crisis.
In December last year, the Centre decided to integrate the PMGKAY, launched in 2020 to provide additional free food grains, with the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
Under the NFSA, 75 percent of rural and 50 percent of urban populations are covered in two categories: Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and priority households.
AAY households, representing the poorest of the poor, are entitled to receive 35 kg of food grains per family per month, while priority households receive 5 kg per person per month.
“The central government fully bears the food subsidy for procuring, allocating, transporting, and delivering the food grains to the designated depot in the states with the help of two food subsidy schemes, namely, Food Subsidy to FCI and Food Subsidy to Decentralized Procurement (DCP) States,” the ministry said in a statement. These two food subsidy schemes have been amalgamated under PMGKAY to ensure effective and uniform implementation of the NFSA, thereby fortifying the country’s food security network.
Previously, the central government took the initiative to alleviate the financial burden on poor beneficiaries and to ensure nationwide uniformity and effective implementation of NFSA. It decided to provide food grains free of cost to beneficiaries covered under NFSA, for a period of one year, starting January 01, 2023.
(Inputs From ANI)