Bengal govt extends free ration under state scheme till June 2021

Kolkata, June 30: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced that the state government will be extending Centre's free ration for poor under PM Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana till June 2021.

Speaking to media, Mamata said,''I am extending free ration for poor till June 2021.''

Mamata's announcement came after Prime Minister Narendra's Modi address to nation.

Modi's address focussed mainly on the Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Anna Yojana and announced that Centre's 'free food grains for poor' scheme be extended till the end of November.

Free ration will be given to over 800 million people, he said. The extension of the scheme to cost over ₹90 thousand crore, he added. This will then amount to a total of ₹1.5 lakh crore of government's expenditure since the lockdown began three months back, Modi said.