Free food grain supply to all migrants for next 2 months: FM Sitharaman

New Delhi, May 14: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said that the migrants will get free food grain supply for the next two months.

"Free foodgrain supply to migrants for 2 months now expanded for those who don't have NFSA or state cards. 5 kg of wheat or rice or 1 kg of chana to be provided," FM Sitharaman said.

"Close to 8 crore migrants will benefit from this and Centre will bear the cost. Rs 3,500 crore will be spent on this intervention," she added.

"The state government is responsible for implementation of these measures, identification of migrants and full distribution and for providing detailed guidelines," Sitharaman further said.

Listing out measures taken by the government for the migrant workers, Sitharaman said the centre has permitted the states to utilise SDRF for setting up shelter for migrants and providing them food and water etc.

"We have already generated 14.62 crore person-days of work till 13th May, which is 40-50 per cent more persons enrolled as compared to last May. Migrant workers going back to their states being actively enrolled," Sitharaman said.

"There is a legitimate concern about migrants returning to their home states We are attending to migrants, we are not boasting," the minister said amid rising opposition criticism that the Centre is ignoring the plight of migrant labourers.

The government will also make affordable housing for the urban poor, labourers and migrants in all states and UTs, which will be built under public-private partnership.