Free Ration Scheme Extended Till September | Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojna.
The Modi government on Saturday extended the scheme to provide 5 kg of grains free of cost to the poor by six months till September 30 at a cost of ₹ 80,000 crore, as it looks to continue providing support to vulnerable amid a rebound in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The scheme, which started when India went into stringent lockdown two years back, was to end on March 31.
In the last two years, around ₹ 2.6 lakh crore has already been spent under this scheme and it will cost another ₹ 80,000 crore with the extension of six months.
In March 2020, the Centre had launched the scheme -- Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY) -- to provide free 5 kg foodgrains per person per month to over 80 crore beneficiaries covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) to reduce the hardships of people during the COVID pandemic.
"In keeping with the concern and sensitivity towards poor and vulnerable sections of society, the Union Cabinet has extended the PM-GKAY scheme for another six months i.e, till September 2022 (Phase VI)," an official statement said.
The Phase-V of PM-GKAY scheme was to end in March 2022.
The government has spent approximately ₹ 2.60 lakh crore so far and another ₹ 80,000 crore will be spent over the next six months till September 2022 taking the total expenditure under PM-GKAY to nearly ₹ 3.40 lakh crore," the statement said.
The extension of the scheme shows the Modi government's sensitivity towards poor, Food Minister Piyush Goyal tweeted.
The additional free grains are over and above the normal quota provided under the NFSA at a highly subsidised rate of ₹ 2-3 per kg.
The scheme was again extended from December 2021 to March 2022 (Phase-V).
In the beginning, the government had also distributed 1 kg of pulses under this scheme, but it was discontinued later.
