The Union Cabinet on Wednesday extended the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) as part of Economic Response to COVID-19, for another five months from July to November, 2020. Under the Scheme it is proposed to distribute 9.7 Lakh MT cleaned whole Chana to States/UTs for distribution to all beneficiary households under the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) @ 1kg per month free of cost under for next five months -July to November, 2020 at a total estimated cost of Rs.6,849.24 crore.
About 19.4 crore households would be covered under the Scheme. All expenses on the extended PMGKAY are to be borne by the Central Government. Extension of the Yojana is in line with the commitments of the Government of India not to allow any body, especially any poor family, to suffer on account of non-availability of food grains due to disruption during next five months. Free distribution of whole Chana will also ensure adequate availability of protein to all the above-mentioned individuals during these five months.
The distribution of pulses for the package emanated from robust availability of stock in the buffer which was set up in 2015-2016. Government of India has sufficient stocks of Gram for distribution for the extended period of PMGKAY.
In the first phase of the PMGKAY (from April to June 2020), 4.63 lakh MTs of pulses have been distributed already, benefiting 18.2 Cr. households across the country.
The Prime Minister on June 30 announced the extension of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan package till end of November, 2020 to ameliorate the hardship faced by the underprivileged or poor on the account of economic disruption caused by the Corona Virus and Lock Down.