New Delhi: The center wants to distribute grains allocated under PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) separately from the quantity distributed in the National Food Security Scheme (NFSA).
The government has focused more on making PMGKAY more popular among people as a mega welfare scheme to help the poor who have been beaten by Pandemic Covid-19.
While each of almost 81 Crore recipients has the right to get 5 kg of foodgrain every month at a very subsidized rate under NFSA, similar quantity grains are given to them until November for free.
“We are a country insisting on distributing grains allocated under NFSA and PMGKAY separately,” said Food Secretary Union Sudhanshu Pandey.
Responding to questions from TOI about the reasons behind such insistence, Pandey said beneficiaries were not misled.
He added that all quantities under NFSA and PMGKAY can be distributed simultaneously by the owner of the Ransum shop, but they must complete two separate transactions; One for free and other wheat for seeds brought with subsidized rates.
So far seven countries have distributed around 14,700 tons of food grains under the fourth phase of PMGKay.
Pandey said there was a delay because countries followed a different distribution cycle of rations.
However, the distribution was taken in Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Jharkhand, he added.
In the procurement of wheat, the food secretary said the center transferred RS 84,369 Crore to account 49.16 lakh wheat farmers during the current rabbi marketing season (RMS), with the maximum RS 26,000 Crore paid to 8.85 lakh farmers in Punjab.
Likewise, nearly 7.6 lakh farmers in Haryana received RS 16,706 Crore in their bank account because of direct transfers from the number of MSP.
It also said the number of rice obtained this year for the marketing season Kharif (KMS) 2020-21 has 862 lakh tons obtained beyond the ton of 771 lakh last year.
It is said that procurement continues and can reach around 900 lakh tons.
Nearly 1.27 rice farmers Crore have received Rs 1.52 Lakh Crore MSP for rice.