COVID Care: 80 Crore People To Get Free Food Grains For Three Months, Says Minister

Bhubaneswar: The Central government has launched a massive exercise to supply free food grains and pulses to about 80 crore people across the country under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY).

Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri Ram Vilas Paswan on Friday said in order to help the poor tide over the hardships faced due to economic disruptions caused by the COVID  pandemic, the Department of Food & Public Distribution has announced the policy decision to distribute additional foodgrains to about  80 crore NFSA beneficiaries under the PM-GKAY in all States for three months from April to June. Twenty-one States/UTs have completed more than 90 per cent distribution of the food grains for April under the scheme covering nearly 41.35 crore beneficiaries.

Stating that the Department of Consumer Affairs is carrying such a massive operation of pulses, he said one kg of pulses is being distributed to about 19.50 crore households for three months. About 51,105 lakh tonne of pluses have already been distributed among the beneficiaries, he added.

Paswan assured that sufficient food grains is available to meet the increased demands and said the procurement process is also on track. In view of the prevailing unprecedented situation, it has been decided that procurement of wheat during the ensuing Rabi season and paddy of Rabi crop in the last Kharif season may be carried out on provisional basis, he said.