Centre named new Integrated Food Security Scheme as Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana

Tags: Government Schemes National News

The new integrated food security scheme has been named as PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana ((PMGKAY) to provide free food grains to Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Primary Household (PHH) beneficiaries.

An overview of the news

• Keeping in view the welfare of the beneficiaries and to maintain uniformity across states, all PHH and AAY beneficiaries will be provided free food grains under PMGKAY for 2023.

• This integrated scheme will strengthen the provisions of NFSA, 2013 in terms of access, affordability and availability of food grains to the poor.

• The implementation of this new scheme has started from January 1, 2023, which is benefiting more than 80 crore poor people.

• The central government will spend over Rs 2 lakh crore in 2023 as food subsidy under NFSA and other welfare schemes to ease the financial burden of the poor.

PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana ((PMGKAY)

• It is a part of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP) to help the poor fight the battle against Covid-19.

• Its nodal Ministry is the Ministry of Finance.

• Under this scheme, the government provides additional free of cost 5 kg per person per month food-grains (rice/wheat) to around 80 crore beneficiaries of National Food Security Act (NFSA) including the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) beneficiaries. 

• The PMGKAY has now been linked with One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) plan where migrant workers can get the benefit of the scheme through any ration shops in India.