Govt to provide foodgrains of Rs. 93869 at free of cost

摘要

The centre will spend キ 93,869 crore this year to provide 5 kg of foodgrains per month free of cost to over 80 crore people during May-November for providing relief to poor amid the second wave of Covid-19, the finance minister said recently. Last year, the Centre had launched the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) to provide free foodgrains to over 80 crore beneficiaries covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), as part of its effort to reduce the hardships of people during the pandemic. The scheme was operational during April-November period of 2020. After the outbreak of the second wave in April 2021, the PMGKAY scheme was reintroduced, initially for May-June and then extended till November this year. Addressing a press conference to announce fresh stimulus measures for the economy, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the estimated financial implication for providing free foodgrains is キ 93,869 crore for this year. The Centre spent キ1,33,972 crore last fiscal on this scheme. The total financial implication is estimated at キ 2,27,841 crore for PMGKAY, Sitharaman added.