New Delhi (NVI): The Union Cabinet today approved the extension of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY), under which additional food grain will be provided to the poor, for further five months from July to November.
Under this scheme, five kilograms of wheat or rice will be given to every member of the beneficiary family for five more months from July-November. It will benefit more than 80 crore people covered under National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA).
However, keeping in view the need for continuous support to the poor and the needy, the PM-GKAY scheme has been extended further for a period of next 5 months, at a total estimated cost of Rs 6,849.24 crore.
About 19.4 crore households would be covered under the scheme while all expenses on the extended PM-GKAY are to be borne by the central government.
The scheme is in line with the commitments of the government not to allow anyone, especially any poor family, to suffer on account of non-availability of food grains due to disruption during the next five months.
Earlier, in the first phase of the PM-GKAY from April to June 2020, 4.63 lakh MTs of pulses have been distributed already, benefiting 18.2 crore households across the country.
On June 30, the Prime Minister announced the extension of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan package till end of November, 2020 to ameliorate the hardship faced by the underprivileged or poor on the account of economic disruption caused by the pandemic.
-RJV
