Explained: How Govt’s Free Ration Plan- Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana- Helped 80 Cr People Feed During Lockdown

The (PMGKAY) was announced to combat the economic impact on the poor. Under this scheme additional 5 kg wheat and rice along with 1 kg pulses to each family per month is provided to beneficiaries registered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) via ration shops.

New Delhi: The coronavirus induced complete lockdown in March 2020 had brought India to a standstill which meant that no moving out of house even for work. The lockdown had posed several challenges before the common man but it could have been more challenging for the daily wagers and migrant workers with the everyday struggle for livelihood and survival if the government had not extended a helping hand through its Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PM-GKY) scheme.

Within 48 hours of announcing the nationwide lockdown, the union government rolled out the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana with priority to the welfare of the poor and their livelihood. The idea behind this was to protect the poor and to help them fight the battle against covid. The government reached out to the underprivileged with food and money to ensure they did not face difficulties in buying essential supplies and meeting essential needs.

What’s in the scheme?

Under the PMGKY package, free foodgrains for 80 crore people, free cooking gas for 8 crore families, and direct cash transfer to over 40 crore farmers, women, the elderly, the poor, and the needy were provided.

The scheme, announced on March 26, provided an additional ration of 5 kg of wheat or rice per person and one kg of pulses per household every month for free of cost.  This is over and above their regular entitlement under the Public Distribution System (PDS) which includes 35 kg of foodgrains per month to households eligible under Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and 5 kg of foodgrains per person per month to Priority Households (PHH) beneficiaries at a subsidised cost of Rs. 2 per kg of wheat and Rs. 3 per kg of rice.

How it helped feed 80 Crore people feed?

The (PMGKAY) was announced to combat the economic impact on the poor. Under this scheme additional 5 kg wheat and rice along with 1 kg pulses to each family per month is provided to beneficiaries registered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) via ration shops.

This is over and above the existing quota given under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). In April, the government decided to resume providing free food grains to the poor in May and June. But this year, only grains will be given, the Centre announced.

World’s largest food distribution programme

As per the government, this is the world’s largest food distribution programme with an outlay of “Rs 2.68 lakh crore reaching out to 80 crore beneficiaries for 19 months”. In Uttar Pradesh alone, about 14.72 crore NFSA beneficiaries are covered under the scheme.

The scheme was initially for three months until June 2020 but was extended for another five months, to November 2020. Later, during the second wave of the coronavirus infection, the scheme was again introduced for two months in May 2021. While it was supposed to end by June 2021, it was extended until November 2021 – for five months – and later to March 2022. Currently, it is in the fifth phase having a total allocation of 759.22 lakh tonnes. The scheme is now scheduled to end on March 31.