• The Union Cabinet decided to extend the free foodgrains supply under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) to provide relief to ration cardholders till March 2022.

• Under the PMGKAY, 5 kg foodgrain per person per month is being provided free of cost to more than 80 crore beneficiaries.

• The scheme was launched to provide relief to poor people amid the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the nationwide lockdown. It has been extended several times since then. 

Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana

• In March 2020, the government announced the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY) for all beneficiaries covered under the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) as part of the PM Garib Kalyan Package.

• The PMGKAY was provided for three months (April-June 2020) to ameliorate distress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, with the crisis continuing, the programme was extended for another five months (July-November 2020).

• Around 80 crore NFSA beneficiaries were allocated additional 5 kg of foodgrains (wheat or rice), free of cost for a period of 8 months (April-November 2020), thereby ensuring food security of poor/vulnerable beneficiaries/households in the wake of economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 outbreak in the country. 

• During April-November 2020, a total of about 321 lakh MT foodgrains was allocated by the department to all states/UTs, about 305 lakh MT food grains lifted by states/UTs and a total of about 298 LMT of foodgrains (around 93 per cent of allocated quantity) was distributed all over the country.

• After the onset of the second wave of the pandemic, the PMGKAY was once again rolled out for two months (May-June 2021) and was further extended for five months (July-November 2021).

• The PMGKAY has been extended by four months till March 2022. 

• This will cost an additional Rs 53,344 crore to the exchequer. The total cost of PMGKAY would reach about Rs 2.6 lakh crore, including this extension. 

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