New Delhi: The Centre extended Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY) till December claiming to avoid hardships on ‘vulnerable sections of the society’ during festive season.
In an official press release, the Centre on Sunday said, “In order to contain the prices and to avoid any hardships to the vulnerable sections of the society, Govt of India has extended Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY) for another three months (Phase VII) from October 2022 to December 2022.”
‘… to ensure that poor and needy of the country do not face any hardship during the forthcoming festival season and to keep them immune from the adverse forces of the market,” it added.
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It is worth noting that the decision has been taken despite an alert issued by the Finance Ministry to the Food Department earlier. It had warned that if the nation-wide free-ration scheme will be extend then, it would entail an additional burden of Rs 44,762 crore on the exchequer.
The Ministry had also said the idea of extending the food policy will not be okay amid the rising subsidy and fuel prices.
In its press release, the central government has also mentioned that it has been “is regularly monitoring the price scenario of essential commodities including wheat and rice and taking corrective measures, wherein required.”
The central government also said it has ensured that sufficient stock of food grains to meet the requirement of National Food Security Act (NFSA), other welfare schemes and additional requirements of PMGKAY are available in the central pool and prices remains under control.
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PMGKAY was launched during a nation-wide lockdown in the wake of Covid-19 in March 2020 to ensure food to everyone. The government provides free dry ration to nearly 800 million people under this policy. The beneficiary families get 5 kg free ration each month per person
PMGKAY will be in seventh phase as it has been extended many times already in the past.
Many claimed that the free-food policy has been extended keeping upcoming elections of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh in mind.
