Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY) is a scheme as part of Atmanirbhar Bharat to supply free food grains to migrants and poor. It provides 5 kg of rice or wheat, according to regional dietary preferences, and 1kg of pulses for each family holding a ration card.
Launched during the Covid-19 pandemic, PMGKAY has provided food security to 80 crore beneficiaries covered under NFSA. It has doubled the monthly foodgrain entitlements being normally delivered to them.
Free Food Grains to Migrants & Poor
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY) is a central government scheme that provides free food grains to the poor. It was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the first nationwide lockdown due to Covid-19 in March 2020.
It is an important part of Atmanirbhar Bharat, the national programme that seeks to provide relief to the poor during economic disruptions caused by the outbreak of coronavirus. The objective of the programme is to ensure that no one falls below poverty line.
The scheme is being extended for a further six months until November 2021. The extension is part of the government’s effort to address the impact of the second wave of Covid, which had hit India in February this year.
While announcing the extension, Prime Minister Modi said that he was committed to the welfare of migrant workers. He also announced that the food grain intervention would be available for non-card holders who neither fall under the National Food Security Act nor are state card beneficiaries in the states where they work.
Activists recently wrote to the PM asking him to continue distributing free food grains and universalize food security in order to meet the country’s needs in this time of crisis. They urged him to ensure that dry rations were provided to stranded migrants and cooked food was provided through community kitchens as directed by the Supreme Court.
As per the PM-GKAY scheme, each beneficiary was entitled to receive an additional five kilograms of free food grains each month in addition to their quota under NFSA. This was a huge step forward as it aimed to provide food and nutrition security.
Meanwhile, the food ministry has been urging states to identify and approach migrant workers to get them registered under the National Food Security Act. This is in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directive on registering migrant labourers and unorganised sector workers.
The food ministry has also been trying to contact migrant workers in Delhi to help them apply for the ration card that they need to get free food grains. The centre has also rolled out the ‘One Nation One Ration Card’ policy, under which migrant workers can use their ration cards in any state to buy subsidised food items from fair price shops.
Eligibility
The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana is a scheme that aims to help the poor fight off Covid-19. It is part of the larger package named Atmanirbhar Bharat and is operated by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
The scheme is designed to provide free food grains to the people who are unable to afford them otherwise. It is meant to be a supplement to the ration card, which is provided by the government to the citizens.
It will provide a free ration of 5 kg of wheat or rice per person, as well as 1 kg of preferred pulses to all 81 crore beneficiaries. This will be done in addition to the regular quota that is given under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
Eligibility requirements for this scheme are very simple. It is open to everyone, including women and elderly people.
To be eligible, a household must have a member who is below 60 years old and has no family or societal support. This includes single men and women, widows and disabled persons.
Moreover, it is mandatory to have a valid ration card and must be living in the rural areas. It is also necessary to have at least one child under the age of five.
However, some households may not qualify for the scheme, depending on their income. For example, if they have a monthly income of less than Rs. 30,000, they may not be eligible to receive the benefit.
Another requirement is that a household must have at least one member who is working in the private sector. Wage workers who have a monthly income of less than 15,000 and who have fewer than 100 employees are eligible for the scheme.
The scheme has already benefited 80 crore people and will continue to do so. The central government has recently announced that the scheme will be extended until December 2022. The government is also working on other schemes to improve India’s food security.
Distribution
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the government had launched Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) to provide free food grains to poor households. It covered 80 crore Indians or about two-thirds of the country’s population.
It was aimed at ensuring that no one goes hungry, as per the Centre’s statement. It is being implemented under the National Food Security Act, NFSA.
This scheme is being provided to all NFSA beneficiaries including Antyodaya Anna Yojana(AAY) and Priority Household(PHH) ration card holders through the Public Distribution System. It is being implemented under the joint responsibility of the Central and State Governments.
The Central Government through the Food Corporation of India(FCI) undertakes the procurement, storage, transportation and bulk allocation of food grains to the State Governments for distribution through the PDS network. The operational responsibilities including identification of eligible families, issue of Ration Cards and supervision of functioning of Fair Price Shops rest with the State Governments.
In order to make the rollout of this free food grains program a success, the government has appointed 18 nodal officers. These officers are at the Deputy Secretary and Director levels.
They are working closely with the State Governments to ensure that the food grain is distributed uniformly across all the states and that the process is smooth.
As part of the scheme, foodgrains will be distributed to all the NFSA beneficiary families in addition to the normal entitlement under the PDS. This will help the beneficiary to have more food grains for better nutrition.
Moreover, free foodgrains will also be provided to the beneficiaries who are living in the slums, migrant workers, carpenters, blacksmiths and other marginal farmers. The free foodgrains will be distributed to all NFSA beneficiaries through 5.33 lakh Fair Price Shops in the country.
The Union Government announced the extension of PMGKAY for another six months until December 31, 2022. According to the Union minister for agriculture and food, this extension will benefit over 55 million ration card holders.
Requirements
The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana is a scheme that provides free food grains to those eligible for the program. This relief package was implemented during the first nationwide lockdown due to Covid-19 and is meant to help mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic on the most vulnerable sections of the population.
The scheme began in 2020 and was extended six times, reaching over 80 crore beneficiaries. The government announced a new extension in September, which will be effective until 2022.
Under the scheme, families who qualify for priority or Antyodaya status are eligible to receive 5 kilograms of rice and wheat every month as part of their ration cards. In addition, a subsidized ration of Rs 2-3 is also given to these households.
This food grain scheme is aimed at addressing the immediate need for a dependable supply of protein. In addition to the five kilograms of food grain, individuals are also provided with one kilogram of preferred pulses per month.
These benefits are free of cost and are available to all NFSA cardholders. The government will distribute these food grains to the poor through its One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) scheme.
There are several requirements that individuals must meet to be eligible for the PMGKAY scheme. These include income, residence and other factors.
The government is also offering a variety of benefits for small establishments with less than 100 employees, such as paying 24% of their monthly wages into their PF accounts. This benefit is a great boon for these organizations, which typically have low wages.
Another important component of the scheme is that it provides insurance coverage for health workers. This insurance policy is free for 22 lakh health care professionals.
These benefits can be used to purchase medicines and other medical supplies. The government also gives them a cash benefit to pay for these items.
The benefits offered under the PMGKAY scheme are a wonderful way for the government to help Indian citizens. However, these benefits should be carefully chosen to ensure that they are not harmful to the health of individuals.
