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The Cabinet has extended the free food grains distribution through the ration shops by another four months until March 31, which will entail an expenditure of ₹53,344 crore. The scheme, re-launched this fiscal from May, was to end by November 30.
To ease the hardships faced by the poor and needy due to the economic disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Centre last year launched the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), by allowing 80 crore beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) to avail additional foodgrains of the same quantity they are entitled at free of cost.
Also read: Delhi govt to extend free ration supply till May 2022: CM Kejriwal
The NFSA beneficiaries are provided 5 kg of rice or wheat each every month at highly subsidised prices of ₹3/kg for rice and ₹2/kg for wheat. Some poorest of the poor under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) also get 35 kg per family even if they have less than 7 members in each family.
The total food subsidy on account of PMGKAY since its launch has been estimated to be about ₹2.60-lakh crore, said Information and Broadcasting Minister, Anurag Thakur, after the cabinet meeting.
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