PMGKAY: States, Union Territories start lifting May quota of free food grains

This allocation is along with common NFSA allocation and 79.39 LMT meals grains should be issued underneath the stated scheme.

The Centre on Tuesday stated states and union territories have began lifting the quota for Could out of the extra meals grains meant totally free distribution to just about 80 crore ration card holders underneath the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY). With as many as 16 states and UTs lifting their whole allocation for this month, the whole off-take for Could has crossed 80%, up to now.

PMGKAY has been re-introduced for 2 months – Could and June – to ameliorate the hardships confronted by the poor and needy on account of numerous disruptions amid the second wave of Covid 19. The federal government has not but dominated out extending it past June and given the present surplus of grains within the central pool inventory, there could also be additional extension.

Beneath PMGKAY, extra meals grains are offered freed from price by way of ration outlets to all of the beneficiaries registered underneath the Nationwide Meals Safety Act (NFSA) over and above their present month-to-month entitlement of 5 kg grains per particular person. Meals Company of India (FCI) has already positioned the required 79.39 lakh tonne of meals grains (for each Could and June) at its depots in all states and UTs for the profitable implementation of the scheme.

“Until Could 17, all 36 states and UTs have lifted 31.80 lakh tonne of meals grains from FCI depots. Lakshadweep has lifted full allocation for each Could and June, whereas 15 states together with Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura have lifted 100% of this month’s allocation,” the meals ministry stated in a press release. All of the states have been sensitised to elevate and distribute free meals grains underneath PMGKAY in a time-bound method, it added. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have been the primary to elevate 100% of allocation inside 4 days.

The price of free meals grains distribution underneath the scheme, estimated at Rs 26,000 crore, is totally being borne by the Centre. This allocation is along with common NFSA allocation and 79.39 LMT meals grains should be issued underneath the stated scheme.

Final yr, the Centre had offered free foodgrains to NFSA beneficiaries underneath PMGKAY throughout April-November) underneath which 104 lakh tonne of wheat and 201 lakh tonne of rice have been lifted by states.