Free food grains to 81.35 crore people till December 2023

     New Delhi, December 23, 2022: The Union cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a significant decision, decided to provide free food grains to the poor for another year from January 1, 2023.

      Under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) free food grains would be provided to 81.35 crore people till December 31, 2023, said Union Food, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal.

      Centre to spend over Rs 2 lakh crore in next 1 year on food subsidy under NFSA and other welfare schemes, he said.
      Terming this as “Historic decision” Goyal said this reflected sensitivity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi toward the poor.

      This would remove the financial burden of the poor and the poorest of the poor, the Minister said.

     Under this decision, 5 kg food grains per person to Priority Households (PHH) beneficiaries and 35 kg per household to Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) beneficiaries (poorest of the poor) will be provided free of cost for next one year, he said.

     Under the NFSA, subsidised food grains were distributed at Rs 3 per kg for rice, Rs 2 per kg for wheat and Rs 1 per kg coarse grains to beneficiaries. The cabinet has decided that the beneficiaries will now receive the food grains free of cost.

       He also added that for the last 28 months free distribution of food grains was done during COVID period by the Centre under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY).