The Centre extended Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) to provide 5 kg of foodgrains free of cost to 80 crore beneficiaries every month by three months till December 31, 2022 (Phase VII) at a cost of Rs 44,762 crore.

Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY)

• In March 2020, the Centre launched the scheme to provide free 5 kg food grains 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-19 pandemic.

• Initially in 2020-21, the PMGKAY scheme was announced only for a period of three months of April, May and June 2020 (Phase-I). Later, the government extended the scheme from July to November 2020 (Phase-II).

• With the COVID crisis continuing in 2021-22, the Centre in April 2021 had re-introduced the scheme for a period of two months of May and June 2021 (Phase-III) and extended it for another five months from July to November 2021 (Phase-IV).

• The scheme was again extended from December 2021 to March 2022 (Phase-V).

• On March 26 this year, the Centre again extended the scheme for six months till September 30 (phase VI).

• The government has so far spent Rs 3.45 lakh crore on the PMGKAY scheme since its launch in April 2020.

• With the additional expenditure of about Rs 44,762 crore for the latest extension, the overall expenditure of the PMGKAY will be about Rs 3.91 lakh crore for all the phases.

• About 122 lakh tonnes of foodgrains will be given out free of cost in the three months from October 1.

• The total allocation of foodgrain for phases I-VII will reach about 1,121 lakh tonnes.

• Under the extended PMGKAY each beneficiary will get an additional 5 kg free ration per person per month in addition to his normal quota of foodgrains under the NFSA.

• The additional free grains are over and above the normal quota provided under the NFSA at a highly subsidised rate of Rs 2-3 per kg.

• The benefit of free ration can be availed through portability by any migrant labourer or beneficiary under One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) plan from nearly 5 lakh ration shops across the country.

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