As the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) is about to end in a week, a parliamentary standing committee has asked the Food Ministry to prepare an “objective assessment” and conclude to what extent the PMGKAY scheme has helped beneficiaries and for how long it needs to be continued.
The committee has applauded the government for launching the PMGKAY scheme, however, the ministry had not made an objective assessment of the food grains scheme launched in 2020 as the government’s economic response to the COVID pandemic.
Divided into five phases, with a total allocation of Rs 759.22 lakh tones and financial implication pegged at Rs 2.68 lakh crore, the PMGKAY scheme will end on March 31, 2022. The Food Ministry had brought to the notice of the Standing Committee that the extension of the scheme beyond March 31, 2022, would be considered taking into account the prevailing situation in the country.
