HIGHLIGHTS:
- The Union Cabinet, has authorised a six-month extension of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana
- The entire cost is expected to be around Rs 3.40 lakh crore
- Phase 6 has contributed 244 LMT to the total free food grain allowance, bringing it to 1,003 LMT
The Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has authorised a six-month extension of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) until September 2022.
Taking an overview
Phase 5 of this scheme was supposed to expire in March 2022.
The government has spent almost Rs 2.60 lakh crore on the scheme so far, with an additional Rs 80,000 crore set to be invested through September 2022.
The entire cost is expected to be around Rs 3.40 lakh crore.
Under the National Food Security Act 2013(NFSA), each beneficiary will receive a 5 kg free ration per person per month in addition to the usual food grain limit.
This scheme is expected to benefit roughly 80 million people across the country, and it will be fully supported by the federal government, as it has been in the past.
Under PMGKAY phase 5, 759 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of free food grains were distributed.
Phase 6 has contributed 244 LMT to the total free food grain allowance, bringing it to 1,003 LMT.
PMGKAY’s Background
The PMGKAY assistance scheme was announced by the central government in March 2020, during the early stages of the COVID-19 epidemic. The scheme was originally intended to run for three months, but it has been extended multiple times since then. Along with the 5 kg of subsidized food grain already provided under the country’s Public Distribution System(PDS), this initiative aimed to offer every individual covered under the NFSA with an additional 5 kg of grains (rice or wheat) at no cost.
