HIGHLIGHTS-
- Free Ration Scheme Extended For 3 Months.
- Over 60 percent of the state’s population is covered by the scheme.
- Roughly 15 crore beneficiaries are supported by the scheme.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has extended the free ration scheme for another three months. The decision was taken in the first Cabinet meeting of his second term. Over 60 percent of the state’s population is covered by the scheme, which has roughly 15 crore beneficiaries.
The initiative provides rations in addition to those provided by the central government. The PMGKAY, free ration scheme was launched 2 years back for the underprivileged of the country when the whole world was going through a rough phase of Covid lockdown.
Despite the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has largely subsided and economic activity is picking up, this PM-GKAY extension would ensure that no poor households go to bed hungry during this period of recovery.
The first decision of the second term
“The first decision of the newly constituted Government in Uttar Pradesh is devoted to 15 crore impoverished people,” CM Adityanath said while announcing the extension, calling it an example of the BJP’s “double-engine sarkar (at the state and national level).” The free ration scheme was set to expire in March 2022, thus the new government’s first Cabinet meeting opted to prolong its benefits for three months, until June 22.
PMGKAY and NFSA: Free ration scheme to support the underprivileged
The state’s 3.16 crore ration cardholders are covered by two schemes: the PMGKAY (Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojna) and the NFSA (National Food Security Act). The PMGKAY, which entitles cardholders to 5 kg of wheat and rice and 1 kilogram of chana, was launched during the Covid shutdown in April 2020 and entitles cardholders to 5 kg of wheat and rice and 1 kg of chana.
Centre extends PMGKAY for another 6 months
Recently, the Centre also announced that the PMGKAY would be extended for another six months. The NFSA provides cardholders with 35 kg of food grains per month, including 20 kg of wheat and 15 kg of rice. Because the beneficiaries of both programs are nearly identical, they are rationed twice a month – first under the PMGKAY and again under the NFSA.
How to avail of the free ration?
Any migratory laborer or beneficiary can get free rations through portability under the One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) program from approximately 5 lakh ration outlets across the country. Over 61 crore portability transactions have benefited beneficiaries who live away from their houses.
