Union cabinet decides to extend PM Garib Kalyan Yojana by six months

New Delhi, Mar 26: The Union Cabinet in the meeting has decided to extend the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana by six months.

In the last two years, around Rs 2.6 lakh crore has already been spent under this scheme and it will cost another Rs 80,000 crore with the extension of six months.

"In keeping with the concern and sensitivity towards poor and vulnerable sections of society, the Union Cabinet has extended the PM-GKAY scheme for another six months i.e, till September 2022 (Phase VI)," an official statement said.

The Phase-V of PM-GKAY scheme was to end in March 2022.

"The government has spent approximately Rs 2.60 lakh crore so far and another Rs 80,000 crore will be spent over the next six months till September 2022 taking the total expenditure under PM-GKAY to nearly Rs 3.40 lakh crore," the statement said.

The extension of the scheme shows the Modi government's sensitivity towards poor, Food Minister Piyush Goyal tweeted.

The additional free grains are over and above the normal quota provided under the NFSA at a highly subsidised rate of Rs 2-3 per kg.

"Even though the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly abated and economic activities are gathering momentum, this PM-GKAY extension would ensure that no poor household goes to bed without food during this time of recovery," the statement said.

The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY) was announced in 2020 for three months till July and later extended till November to combat the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the poor.

Under the scheme, additional 5 kg wheat and rice along with 1 kg pulses to each family per month was provided to beneficiaries registered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

Free grains -- which will be distributed on the same pattern as earlier -- will be given to 80 crore beneficiaries.