NEW DELHI: Amid the economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 outbreak in the country, the central government on Friday decided to allocate free-of-cost food grains at 5 kg per person per month to nearly 80 crore beneficiaries covered under National Food Security Act 2013 (NFSA) over and above NFSA foodgrains for next two months i.e. May and June, on the same pattern as the earlier Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY).
Officials said that 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 Centre will bear all expenditure of over Rs 26,000 Crore on account of food subsidy and central assistance to states/UTs on account of intrastate transportation etc, officials said, adding that this was in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to the poor.
PM Modi stressed that it is important that the poor of the country have nutritional support when the country is facing the second wave of coronavirus, they said.
The Centre will spend more than Rs 26,000 crore on this initiative.