Cabinet approves extension of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY) for another 6 months (April-September, 2022)
Move to benefit poor and
vulnerable
Nearly Rs 3.4 lakh crore of financial outlay & more than 1,000 LMT of free
foodgrains provided under PMGKAY
In keeping with the
concern and sensitivity towards poor and vulnerable sections of society,the
Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, has extended the
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY) scheme for another six months
i.e., till September 2022 (Phase VI).
The Phase-V of
PM-GKAY scheme was to end in March 2022. It may be recalled that the PM-GKAY
has been under implementation since April 2020, as the largest food security
program in the world.
The Government has
spent approximately Rs. 2.60 Lakh Crore so far and another Rs. 80,000 Crore
will be spent over the next 6 months till September 2022 taking the total
expenditure under PM-GKAY to nearly Rs. 3.40 Lakh Crore.
This will cover
nearly 80 crore beneficiaries across India and like before would be fully
funded by the Government of India.
Even though the
COVID-19 pandemic has significantly abated and economic activities are
gathering momentum, this PM-GKAY extension would ensure that no poor household
goes to bed without food during this time of recovery.
Under the extended
PM-GKAY each beneficiary will get additional 5 kg free ration per person per
month in addition to his normal quota of foodgrains under the NFSA. This means
that every poor household would get nearly double the normal quantity of
ration.
It is worth
highlighting that the Government had allocated about 759 LMT of free foodgrains
under the PM-GKAY till Phase V. With another 244 LMT of free foodgrains under
this extension (Phase VI), the aggregate allocation of free foodgrains under
the PM-GKAY now stand at 1,003 LMT of foodgrains.
The benefit of free
ration can be availed through portability by any migrant labour or beneficiary
under One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) plan from nearly 5 lakh ration shops
across the country. So far, over 61 Crore portability transactions have
benefitted the beneficiaries away from their homes.
This has been made
possible due to highest ever procurement despite the century’s worst pandemic
with highest ever payment to farmers by the Government. For this record
production in the agricultural fields Indian Farmers –‘Annadata’ deserves to be
complimented.