In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to the poor and to ameliorate the hardships faced by the poor and needy due to Covid-19 situation, the PMGKAY scheme is announced by the Government of Indiaby the Union Government for the month of May and June 2021.The Secretary Department of Food & Public Distribution Shri Shudhanshu Pandey today briefed the media personsabout the announced Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana.
Under this scheme it has been decided to allocate free-of-cost food grains @ 5 Kg per person per month to nearly 80 Crore beneficiaries covered under National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA). This allocation would be over and above NFSA foodgrains for next two months i.e. May and June 2021 on the same pattern as the earlier “Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY)”.
In his opening remarks, Shri Pandey informed that the Food Corporation of India will be providing additional 80 LMT foodgrains in the month of May and June 2021, under the special scheme to respective State/ UT Governments, in addition to their regular NFSA allocation.
Shri Pandey further added that approximately 179 LMT foodgrains, for NFSA & this scheme will have to be supplied in May and June 2021 for which FCI is fully geared and has adequate availability of stocks of food grain in States/UTs.
Further he added that the planned movement of stocks of foodgrains procured in Kharif Marketing season 2020-21 and ongoing procurement in Rabi Marketing season 2021-22, will take care of any requirements during this period.
Under this special scheme, around 80 Crore NFSA beneficiaries covered under both categories of NFSA, namely Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Householders (PHH), will be provided with an additional quota of free-of-cost foodgrains (Rice/Wheat) at a scale of 5 Kg per person per month, over and above their regular monthly entitlements under NFSA.
The Secretary informed that during 2020-21, Government of India had announced PMGKAY-I (April-June 2020) and PMGKAY-II (July-November 2020) under which 104 LMT wheat and 201 LMT rice, total 305 LMT foodgrains were successfully supplied by FCI to the respective State/ UT governments he added.
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DJN/MS
