In a big decision by the Modi government, the Centre told the Union Cabinet on Friday, that over 80 crore poor people will now be able to avail free food grains under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
The Centre has allocated around Rs 2 lakh crore per year on this scheme, under which people won’t have to pay a single rupee for food grains. The decision was announced during the Union Cabinet meeting. Union minister Piyush Goyal made the announcement during the press briefing.
Earlier, the government had announced an extension of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY) for another three months until December 2022. Until then, a total of Rs 3.45 lakh crore had been spent on the six phases of PM-GKAY.
Here’s all you need to know:
- Under NFSA, poor people were earlier provided food grains on subsidised rates. However, they will now be able to avail the benefits free of cost.
- Families that used to avail 35 kgs and 5 kgs of food grains, respectively, will now get them for free.
- For this, the budget for the NFSA scheme has been elevated to Rs 2 lakh crore. Centre will bear the full cost for these food grains.
- The PM-GKAY is a scheme under which the government provides free foodgrains — 5 kg per person per month.
- The scheme was started as one of the components of the government’s Rs 1.7 lakh crore Covid relief package back in 2020.
- The programme merges two scheme, including one started in 2020 under which the government was providing free or subsidised food grains to the poor.
- he scheme would run till December 2023, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said.
The Centre has decided to make the distribution of ration under National Food Security Act free for 81.3 crores poor for one year. Under NFSA, also called the food law, the government currently provides 5 kilograms of food grains per person per month at ₹2-3 per kg. The families covered under Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) get 35 kg of food grains per month.
Rice is given to poor persons under NFSA at ₹3 per kg and wheat at ₹2 per kg.
Briefing reporters about the decision taken by the Union Cabinet, Food Minister Piyush Goyal said the Centre will bear the entire burden of providing free food grains under NFSA.
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