As thousands of migrants on move again, grain scheme for poor back

The new version of the scheme does not, however, include an important component of last year's PM-GKAY – 1 kg pulses per month free to each household under the NFSA.

Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, migrants, National Food Security Act, indian migrants, Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, india news, indian express

Migrant workers arrive in Patna, from various states. (PTI)

With thousands of migrants headed back to their towns and villages amid lockdown-like restrictions in several big cities, the government on Friday said it was restarting the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY) to provide additional 5 kg of foodgrains per month free to beneficiaries covered by the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013.

The new version of the scheme does not, however, include an important component of last year’s PM-GKAY – 1 kg pulses per month free to each household under the NFSA.

The Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said the additional foodgrains will be provided to individual beneficiaries of the NFSA for the two months of May and June.

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“Under this special scheme (PM-GKAY), 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 Ministry said.

“Government of India will bear full expenditure of over Rs 26,000 crore on account of cost of foodgrains, intra-state transportation, etc. as part of central assistance to States/UTs,” it said.

The Ministry said the decision to allocate free foodgrains to NFSA beneficiaries was in line with “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to the poor”.

The announcement comes after governments of Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Kerala, and several Opposition leaders including NCP chief Sharad Pawar, senior Trinamool MP Sougata Ray, and CPI Rajya Sabha member Binoy Viswam, wrote to the Centre.

Harikishan Sharma

Harikishan Sharma, Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express' National Bureau, specializes in reporting on governance, policy, and data. He covers the Prime Minister’s Office and pivotal central ministries, such as the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Ministry of Cooperation, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Rural Development, and Ministry of Jal Shakti. His work primarily revolves around reporting and policy analysis. In addition to this, he authors a weekly column titled "STATE-ISTICALLY SPEAKING," which is prominently featured on The Indian Express website. In this column, he immerses readers in narratives deeply rooted in socio-economic, political, and electoral data, providing insightful perspectives on these critical aspects of governance and society. ... Read More

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