PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana 2021: The central govt. has extended the scope of PM Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana 2021 for the months of May and June. Now poor families will get free of cost food as nutritional support when the country is facing second wave of coronavirus pandemic. This decision will cost an additional Rs. 26,000 crore to the central government exchequer which will take the total amount for free food scheme to Rs. 1.76 lakh crore (60,000 cr + 90,000 cr + 26000 cr) . Moreover, govt. has also revised guidelines for Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana 2021. In the new form, there is no requirement of ration card or ID to avail food items under this scheme.
PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana 2021 – Complete Details
The central govt. on 24 April 2021 has announced that government will provide 5 kg of free food grains to millions of poor covered under the National Food Security Act, 2013, due to economic disruptions caused by the Covid-19 outbreak in the country, for the months of May and June under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana. This will be “over and above NFSA foodgrains for next two months i.e. May and June 2021” on the same pattern as the earlier “Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY)”, it added.
Under this special scheme (PMGKAY), around 80 Crore NFSA beneficiaries covered under both categories of NFSA, namely Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Householders (PHH), will be provided with an additional quota of free-of-cost food grains (Rice/Wheat) at a scale of 5 Kg per person per month, over and above their regular monthly entitlements under NFSA. Government of India will bear all expenditure of over Rs. 26,000 Crore on account of food subsidy and central assistance to states/UTs on account of intrastate transportation etc.
Who Can Avail Free Food Grains in PM-GKAY
- Farmers
- Women Jan Dhan Account Holders
- MGNREGA Workers
- Women SHGs
- Old Age / Widow / Disabled pensioners
- Private employees
- Migrant workers
- NFSA beneficiaries of both categories – Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Householders (PHH)
PM Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana 2021 without Ration Card / ID Proof
This new free food distribution scheme will work without any RC or ID necessity to increase its coverage. As announced in the PM Garib Kalyan Yojana Package, govt. will provide food to 80 crore people absolutely free of cost. Each person will get 5 Kg rice / wheat per month. Free Food For All Scheme is a necessity amid Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak. The free food distribution scheme will ensure adequate food supply to migrant labourers, daily wagers and urban poor who do not have required ration with them.
As per the recommendations from empowered groups and senior officials of govt., ration card and other ID requirements have been removed. This will enlarge access to food under PM Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana 2021 which is a flagship scheme of Modi government. The govt. has announced to provide free food to everyone who needs it during COVID-19 crisis for the month of May and June.
Removal of ration card and ID proof requirement during free food distribution is an important step forward. It is necessary because many workers in unorganized sector are still not within the public distribution system (PDS) network. Moreover, daily wage workers in other states may have left their ration card back at their home for their families to use. They rely on daily earnings to survive and are now quite helpless. So with this step, govt. wants that food items reaches all needy poor people.
PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana Announcement in Earlier PMGKY Package
The step of doing away of ID requirement in PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana will ensure that no one goes without food. The central govt. has enough food stocks in the godowns of Food Corporation of India, so this decision has been taken easily. As per the announcement in PMGKY package, the following are the features of this new PM-GKAY scheme:-
- Around 80 crore people would be benefited.
- All poor people including daily wagers, migrant labourers, urban poor etc would be provided with free ration.
- For next 2 months of May 2021 & June 2021, each family will get 5 kg wheat / rice (ration) per month absolutely free of cost.
- The procurement is to be done through nearest public distribution centres or fair price shops.
- The scheme will remain valid till 30 June and will cost an additional Rs. 26,000 crore to the central government.
The total cost for PM Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana will then reaches to around 1.76 lakh crore. It is felt that central govt. can push states to do away with paperwork requirements at-least temporarily. However, access to this free food requires showing the relevant ration card at the fair-price shops or public distribution centre stores.
PM Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana in Reducing COVID-19 Spread
The PM Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana has been rolled out again for the next two months as the country’s healthcare infrastructure has reached its capacity and several states have taken steps like complete lockdown, night curfew to contain the spread of the disease. The PM-GKAY scheme comes as such measures affecting the economic activities of the country and the pandemic will cause a huge burden on the poor of the country.
Some states have announced transfer of funds directly into accounts of ration card holders. A recent study by the International Food Policy Research Institute on how India’s food safety net is responding to Covid-19 also pointed to this issue. The study observes that PDS coverage in urban areas is low which suggests the need to “expand the list of eligible households” at least for now.
Source / Reference Link: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/govt-to-provide-free-food-to-800-million-in-may-june-under-pm-garib-kalyan-anna-yojana-101619174442565.html
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