Centre extends free ration scheme by three months

The Centre decided to extend the free distribution of ration to the poor as the festive season is on. The decision coincides with the upcoming assembly elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, both ruled by the BJP.

The cabinet extended the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) for another three months, from October 2022 to December 2022. During this period, the total outgo of food grains is expected to be 122 LMT at the subsidy cost of Rs. 44,762 crore, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said.

Ever since the scheme was launched during the pandemic, in April 2020, PMGKAY has had an estimated subsidy of Rs 3.45 lakh crore. "At a time when the world is battling the effects of Covid, India has been successfully maintaining food security for its vulnerable sections while taking necessary steps to keep availability and affordability for the common man. Recognising that people have gone through a difficult period of the pandemic, the government decided to extend PMGKAY for a period of three months so that poor and vulnerable sections of society are supported for the forthcoming major festivals like Navratri, Dussehra, Milad-un-nabi, Deepawali, Chhath pooja, Gurunanak dev Jayanti, and Christmas, " Thakur said.

Under this welfare scheme, 5 kg of food grains per person per month is provided free of cost for all the beneficiaries covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) [Antodaya Anna Yojana & Priority Households] including those covered under Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

The financial implication for the Government of India has been about Rs. 3.45 lakh crore upto Phase-VI of PMGKAY. With the additional expenditure of about Rs. 44,762 crore for Phase-VII of this scheme, the overall expenditure of PMGKAY will be about Rs. 3.91 lakh crore for all the phases.

The total outgo in terms of food grains for PMGKAY Phase VII is likely to be about 122 LMT. The aggregate allocation of food grain for phases I- VII is about 1121 LMT.