Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana 2024, Features, Benefits and Eligibility

Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana 2024

The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) was launched to help the poor during the COVID-19 pandemic. Extra food grains were provided under PMGKAY, along with the regular allocations. Over 28 months, about 1118 LMT of food grains were given, costing around Rs. 3.91 lakh crore.

The program began on March 26, 2020, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced it during his first national address amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as part of the existing Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana. Let’s check the details of PMGKAY.

Overview Table Of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana

Aspects	Details
Scheme Name	Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana
Launch Date	March 26, 2020
Objective	Providing free food grains to vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Duration and Phases	Phase I: April’20 – June’20 Phase II: July’20 – Nov.’20 Phase III: May’21 – June’21 Phase IV: July’21 – Nov.’21 Phase V: Dec’21 – Mar’22 Phase VI: April’22 – Sep’22 Phase VII: Oct’22 – Dec’22
Total Duration	Over 28 months
Quantity Distributed	About 1,015 LMT (Lakh Metric Tonnes) of food grains
Cost	Approximately Rs. 3.91 lakh crore
Eligibility	Families in Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Households (PHH) categories
Benefits	– 5 kg of free food grains per month per family – In addition to subsidized rations under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) – Wheat allocated to certain states, rice provided to the rest
Documents Required	Ration Card, Aadhar Card

What Is Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Scheme?

The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Scheme is part of Atmanirbhar Bharat, providing free food grains to migrants and the poor. Phase-I and Phase-II of the scheme were active from April to June 2020 and July to November 2020, respectively. Phase III ran from May to June 2021.

Phase-IV covered the period from July to November 2021, and Phase V lasted from December 2021 to March 2022 with each phase offering 5kg of free food grains per month in addition to subsidized rations under the National Food Security Act. Phase VI, from April to September 2022, is estimated to cost an extra Rs. 80,000 Crore.

The Government’s commitment to providing free food grains through Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Scheme for the next five years, starting January 1, 2024, shows its dedication to national food security. This initiative aims to ease financial burdens for affected groups sustainably and ensure fair pricing without cost to beneficiaries.

Earlier, the Central Government decided to offer free food grains to AAY households and PHH beneficiaries for one year from January 1, 2023, under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Scheme.

प्रधानमंत्री गरीब कल्याण अन्न योजना

प्रधानमंत्री गरीब कल्याण अन्न योजना (PM-GKAY) आत्मनिर्भर भारत का हिस्सा है जिसका उद्देश्य प्रवासी और गरीबों को मुफ्त अनाज प्रदान करना है। इस योजना का पहला चरण अप्रैल से जून, 2020 और दूसरा चरण जुलाई से नवंबर, 2020 में संचालन में था। तीसरा चरण मई से जून, 2021 में संचालन में था। चौथा चरण जुलाई से नवंबर, 2021 और पांचवा चरण दिसंबर, 2021 से मार्च, 2022 तक था।

इस योजना के तहत केंद्र गरीबों को प्रति महीने 5 किलो मुफ्त अनाज प्रदान करता है। यह राष्ट्रीय खाद्य सुरक्षा अधिनियम (एनएफएसए) के तहत सब्सिडाइज़्ड (रुपये 2-3 प्रति किलो) राशन के अतिरिक्त है जो जनता वितरण प्रणाली (पीडीएस) के तहत शामिल परिवारों को प्रदान किया जाता है। अनाज और राशि विभिन्न हो सकती है। चरण VI: अप्रैल से सितंबर, 2022 तक चलने वाले चरण VI के लिए पीएमजीकेएवाई योजना की अनुमानित अतिरिक्त खाद्य सब्सिडी की लागत लगभग 80,000 करोड़ रुपये होगी।

Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana Features

• The PMGKAY was initiated to provide additional food grains to support vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Launched on March 26, 2020, it aimed to alleviate the financial burden by distributing free food grains over a span of 28 months.
• The scheme was implemented in seven phases, from April 2020 to December 2022, with each phase lasting a few months.
• PMGKAY targeted families in specific categories, such as Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Households (PHH), providing 5 kg of free food grains per month per family.
• Wheat was allocated to certain states, while rice was provided to the remaining states and union territories.
• To avail benefits, individuals needed to possess a ration card and Aadhar card.
• The scheme aimed to ensure food security for the needy during challenging times, demonstrating the government’s commitment to supporting its citizens.

Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana Benefits

• PMGKAY provides 5 kg of free food grains to each family with a ration card.
• This is in addition to the subsidized food grains already available through the Public Distribution System (PDS).
• Wheat is allocated to Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Delhi, and Gujarat.
• Rice is provided to the remaining States and Union Territories.

Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana Eligibility

Families in the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Households (PHH) categories qualify for the program. States identify PHH based on their criteria, while AAY families are identified by States following Central Government guidelines:

• Families led by widows, terminally ill, disabled individuals, or those aged 60 and above without support.
• Individuals like widows, terminally ill, disabled persons, those aged 60 and above, single women, and men without family support.
• Primitive tribal households.
• Landless laborers, small farmers, rural artisans, slum dwellers, and daily wage earners in both rural and urban areas.
• Below Poverty Line families of HIV-positive individuals.

PMGKAY (During Covid-19 Pandemic)

During the COVID-19 outbreak in March 2020, the Government started giving extra free food grains (Rice/Wheat) to around 80 Crore National Food Security Act (NFSA) beneficiaries. They got 5 Kg per person per month on top of their usual NFSA entitlements. This doubled the amount of food they received each month, helping those facing economic difficulties to have enough to eat.

Since April 2020, this support has been given out in 7 phases to make sure NFSA beneficiaries across the country have enough food. Here are the details of each phase:

PMGKAY	Duration	Quantity Distributed in LMTs
Phase – I (3 months)	April’20 – June’20	112.6 LMT
Phase – II (5 months)	July’20- Nov.’20	186.2 LMT
Phase – III (2 months)	May’21 – June’21	75.2 LMT
Phase – IV (5 months)	July’21- Nov.’21	186.7 LMT
Phase – V (4 months)	Dec’21- Mar’22	149 LMT
Phase-VI (6 months)	April’22- Sep’22	217 LMT
Phase-VII (3 months)	Oct’22- Dec’22	88.27 LMT
Total (28 months)		1,015 LMT

Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana Application Process

1. To avail benefits, interested individuals should visit the nearest Fair Price Shop with their Ration Card.
2. At the Fair Price Shop, beneficiaries have the option to provide either their Ration Card number or Aadhaar number.
3. Beneficiaries can undergo Aadhaar authentication using their fingerprints or iris-based identification at the Fair Price Shop.

Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana Documents Required

Documents Required for Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana are provided below:

• Ration Card
• Aadhar Card

Conclusion

The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) has been a vital support system during the COVID-19 crisis. By providing free food grains alongside regular rations, it has helped millions of vulnerable families across India. This initiative showcases the government’s dedication to ensuring that no one goes hungry, especially during difficult times. Moving forward, it’s crucial to maintain and enhance such programs to uphold the values of compassion and solidarity, ensuring the well-being of all citizens.

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