Govt extends free ration scheme

New Delhi, September 28

The Centre today extended by three months the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), a programme to provide free rations to India’s 80 crore poor.

The move, keeping in mind high inflation in the country and the upcoming festival season, comes ahead of the critical Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly elections.

Briefing the media on the Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said the scheme to provide 5 kg of wheat and rice free of cost to 80 crore poor every month, which was ending on Friday, would now run till December 31.

“Recognising that people have gone through a difficult period of the pandemic, the government decided to extend the PMGKAY for three months so that poor and vulnerable sections of society are supported during the festivals,” he said, adding that 122 LMT foodgrain would be provided to more than 80 crore people at a cost of over Rs 44,762 crore.

The scheme was started in April 2020 to help people whose livelihoods were affected by the nationwide lockdown. Most states, including those ruled by the BJP, wanted the scheme to continue, officials said. The decision comes amid low wheat stocks and projected decline in rice production due to a fall in acreage because of first deficit and then excess rain. Thakur assured that there was sufficient “grain in the buffer stock”. According to the first advance estimates for 2022-23 crop year (July-June), foodgrain production is estimated at 149.92 million tonnes as against 156.04 million tonnes in the previous season.

As per the FCI website, the current rice stock in the country is 244.63 LMT (lakh tonnes) and wheat 248.22 LMT.

While paddy procurement will begin next month, the total quantity of unmilled paddy lying with the FCI and state agencies is 161.6 LMT, which is enough to fulfil all demands, say officials.