Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said the Centre has provided free foodgrains worth Rs 3.9 lakh crore since April 2020 under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY).

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.

• This is over and above the foodgrains supplied under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

• 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, 2022, the Centre again extended the scheme for six months till September 30 (Phase-VI).

• In September-end, the scheme was extended for a further period of three months up to December 31, 2022 (Phase-VII).

• Under the PMGKAY 1,118 lakh tonnes of foodgrains have been allocated to states/UTs so far with an expenditure of over Rs 3.90 lakh crore.

• 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.

• The ONORC scheme has been rolled out in all 36 states/UTs, covering about 80 crore NFSA beneficiaries.

• Since the launch of the ONORC scheme in August 2019, more than 93 crore portability transactions have been registered, in which more than 177 lakh tonnes foodgrains have been distributed.

• During the year 2022, 39 crore portability transactions were done in 11 months, in which more than 80 lakh tonnes foodgrains have been distributed, including inter-state and intra-state portability transactions of NFSA and PMGKAY.

• More than 99.5 per cent ration cards are linked with Aadhaar (at least one member of the household). About 99.8% (5.33 lakh out of 5.34 lakh) Fair Price Shops are being automated with the use of electronic point-of-sale devices for transparent, assuring distribution of subsidised food grains to the beneficiaries.

Manorama Yearbook app is now available on Google Play Store and iOS App Store