In the midst of the extended lockdown and the battered economy, the Modi government at the Centre had decided give ration to the migrant workers living below the poverty line. This comes under the Prime Minister's Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana. As per the Yojana, people that fall in this category can get free food grains for the next two months.
This public distribution system is said to benefit the total of 81 crore consumers of the country. The government has also stated that the eight crore migrant workers who do not have ration cards will also be able to avail relief. These workers will be given five kilograms of grain (rice or wheat) per person per month. Apart from this, one kg of lentils will also be given to each family every month.
According to the scheme, about 81 crore people of the country will get ration for these months on their ration card for free. Due to this, a burden of about Rs 46,000 crore is being estimated on the exchequer. As per media reports, as soon as the lockdown was announced in the country due to the pandemic, the government started giving relief to the common people by announcing the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana for those living below the poverty line.
Sources associated with the government have asserted that, given the way the outbreak of the coronavirus is increasing, it may take a long time for economic activities to become the way it used to be. To pile on to that, workers across the country have also returned to their villages.
It is being said that at the moment, The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has a stock of more than 80 million tonnes of food grains, which will not decrease despite the distribution of food grains throughout the year. Far more than this is available in government warehouses every month against the need for food grains.
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