27 Nov PRADHAN MANTRI GARIB KALYAN ANNA YOJANA
GS – 3 FOOD SECURITY, GOVERNMENT SCHEME, BUFFER STOCK
The Union cabinet approved the extension for the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana(PMGKAY) for a period of another four month from december 2021 to March 2022. It is considered as the world’s largest food security Scheme.It is a food security welfare scheme announced by the government in march 2020. Its primary objective is to provide free food grains to the eligible beneficiaries covered under the national food security act.
Nodal Agency– PMGKAY is a part of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package to help poor fight the battle against covid-19. Its nodal ministry is the Ministry Of Finance.
It was initially announced for a three month covering 80 crore ration cardholders. Now schemes enter into fifth phase.
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Phase 1 – April-june 2020
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Phase 2 – July-nov 2020
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Phase 3 – May-june 2021
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Phase 4 – July-nov 2021
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Phase 5 – Dec 2021-March 2022
Eligible Beneficiaries received 5kg of food grains and 1kg gram per month through a Public distribution system(PDS). Food needs to be provided to all the beneficiaries under PDS for Antyodaya anna yojana(AAY) and priority household ration cardholders.
ELIGIBILITY
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Families belonging to the below poverty line(BPL)-Antyodaya anna yojana and priority household categories will be eligible for the scheme.
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Household headed by widows or terminally ill persons or disabled persons or persons aged 60 years or more with no assured means of societal support.
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Marginal farmers, craftsmen, slum dwellers, carpenters, blacksmith, porters, coolies, rickshaw pullers and people earning their livelihood on a daily basis in the informal sectors ,HIV positive persons etc.
CHALLENGES
Certain groups of daily wages and informal workers may be left out. Even in a regular pandemic whether or not access to nutritious food is essential or not, access to affordable and safe food should not be an uncertainty for any section of the society.
EXPENDITURE
Government already spent 2.7lacs crore(1-4 phases) of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana(PMGAY) and the government will be incurring an expenditure of 53344.52 In fifth phase.
Plutus IAS Current Affairs Team Member
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