Cabinet Approves Extension Of PMGKAY To Provide 5 Kg Free Food Grains

Union Cabinet approved the extension of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY). According to the scheme, 5 kg of free food grains per month will be given to more than 80 crore Indians for another 5 years from 1st January, 2024.

“This will cover nearly 81 crore beneficiaries across India and central government will spend a total of ₹11.80 lakh crores over the next five years,” union minister Anurag Thakur said in a press conference today.

The extension will take effect on January 1, 2024, and a decision with respect to this has been taken by the cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendera Modi. The food ministry had announced the extension of the PMGKY scheme for one year earlier this month.

In December last year, the center decided to make the PMGKY under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), making up to 75 percent of the rural and 50 percent of the urban populations beneficiaries of the scheme. By this, the poorest of the poor, who are included in the category of Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY), are entitled to 35 kg of foodgrains per family per month, while priority households will get 5 kg per person per month.

“The Central Government fully bears the food subsidy for procuring, allocating, transporting, and delivering the foodgrains to the designated depot in the States with the help of the two food subsidy schemes, namely, Food Subsidy to FCI and Food Subsidy to Decentralized Procurement (DCP) States,” the ministry had then said.

The PMGKAY is now comprised of food subsidies to FCI and food subsidies to decentralized procurement (DCP).

“Under this scheme, free foodgrains are being distributed through the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) from January 1, 2023. The additional cost of making food grains free of charge to the NFSA beneficiaries is being borne by the Government of India,” the statement said.