On March 26, 2022, the Union Cabinet has approved the extension of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY) for another six months till September, 2022, with an outlay of Rs 80,000 crore.
- Government has spent approximately Rs. 2.60 Lakh Crore so far and with above addition of 80,000 crores the total expenditure under the scheme is said be nearly Rs.3.4 lakh crore which includes all six phases.
i.The Union Government under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY) had so far allocated 1,003 Lakh Metric Tonne (LMT) of free food grains, which includes 759 Lakh Metric Tonne (LMT) till Phase v and another 244 Lakh Metric Tonne (LMT) for Phase vi.
ii.The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY) will cover nearly 80 crore beneficiaries across India which includes 75 percent of the rural population and 50 percent of the urban population, making it the largest food security program in the world.
iii.Under the extended Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY) each beneficiary will get an additional 5 kg free ration per person per month in addition to his normal quota of foodgrains under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013.
iv.The benefits can be availed through portability by any migrant labour or beneficiary under One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) plan from nearly 5 Lakh ration shops across the country. So far, over 61 crore portability transactions have taken place under the scheme.
About Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY):
i.Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY) is a welfare scheme announced by the government as a part of Atmanirbhar Bharat in March 2020 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
ii.PMGKAY is operated by the Department of Food and Public Distribution under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.This program is a part of the existing Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana welfare initiative.
ii.It envisages fulfilling the food requirement of the needy by providing food grains through the public distribution system devised to reach all the priority households (ration cardholders) and Antyodaya Anna Yojana.
About National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013:
i.The National Food Security Act, 2013 aims to provide for food and nutritional security in human life cycle approach, by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices to people to live a life with dignity.
ii.The National Food Security Act provides for coverage of upto 75% of the rural population and upto 50% of the urban population for receiving subsidised foodgrains under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS).
iii.The eligible persons will be entitled to receive 5 Kgs of foodgrains per person per month at subsidised prices of Rs. 3/2/1 per Kg for rice/wheat/coarse grains respectively.
iv.The existing Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households, which constitute the poorest of the poor, will continue to receive 35 Kgs of foodgrains per household per month.
