Prime Minister Narendra Modi presided over a union cabinet meeting on Wednesday that approved a five-year extension of the federal government’s public distribution program’s free grain distribution to eligible citizens.
At the onset of the Covid pandemic, the PM Garib Kalyan Yojana was launched, granting ration card holders an extra five kilograms of grains (either rice or wheat, depending on their preference). Additionally, as part of the supplementary food distribution program, chana was also being offered.
Prime Minister Modi himself stated at his election rallies earlier this month that the center intends to prolong the PM Garib Kalyan Yojana.
The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) was launched in April 2020 with the specific purpose of ameliorating the hardships faced by the poor and needy due to economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
Initially, in 2020-21, the PMGKAY scheme was announced only for a period of three months (April- June 2020), however, it was extended until December 2022 in seven consecutive phases.
It benefitted 80 crore beneficiaries.
During an election rally in Durg on November 4, Chhattisgarh the Prime Minister had made the announcement of the decision to extend the free ration scheme.