Centre to provide free ration to poor people for one year under food security law

Source: The post is based on the article “Centre to provide free ration to poor people for one year under food security law” published in The Hindu on 24th December 2022

What is the News?

The Government of India has decided to provide a free ration to 81.35 crore poor people under the National Food Security Act(NFSA) for one year.

What is presently being given under the National Food Security Act(NFSA)?

Under the NFSA, the government currently provides 5kg of food grains per person per month at ₹2-3 per kg. The families covered under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana(AAY) get 35 kg of food grains per month.

Rice is given to poor persons under the NFSA at ₹3 per kg and wheat at ₹2 per kg.

What is being changed now?

For one year, the Central Government will bear the entire burden of providing free food grains under NFSA.

The beneficiaries under NFSA will not have to pay a single rupee to get food grains. 

This is expected to cost the government around Rs 2 lakh crore yearly.

What about Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY)? 

The government has decided not to extend the free ration scheme Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) which ends on December 31.

Under the PMGKAY, 5kg of food grains per person per month is provided free to 81.35 crore beneficiaries covered under the NFSA. This is over and above the monthly distribution of highly subsidized food grains under the NFSA.