The National Food Security Act’s modified food security programme, which would provide 81.3 crore people with 5 kg of free food grain per month. It came into effect from January 1, 2023.
The government has directed Food Corporation of India (FCI) general managers to “evaluate and report” by visiting three ration stores each day during the first week. They are required to submit daily reports.
The cabinet, presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved a plan to make the poor’s NFSA food grain entitlement free for the entire year 2023. The PM Garib Kalyan Ann Yojna , which was started in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, was also terminated by the government with this action.
According to the food ministry, Union Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra met with all state food secretaries on December 30 to discuss the distribution of free food grains and to address any technical issues. The ministry has also advised states and UTs on how to pay dealers’ margins (of ration store owners) for providing food to beneficiaries.
The PMGKAY gained popularity after the pandemic, when an estimated 60 million migrant labourers returned to their home states. Despite being interrupted for six months, it ran for 28 months after beginning in 2020 and was frequently extended. According to a cabinet note, the total cost of PMGKAY from launch to December 2022 is estimated to be 3.91 lakh crore.
