800 million likely to continue getting free ration

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New
Delhi,
Aug
22:
The
government
is
likely
to
continue
to
provide
free
dry
ration
to
800
million
of
India’s
poor
for
another
3
to
6
months.
The
deadline
of
this
scheme
ends
on
September
30
and
a
decision
to
continue
with
it
is
likely
to
be
taken
due
to
high
inflation.

This
scheme
was
launched
in
April
2020
following
the
nation
wide
lockdown
owing
to
COVID-19.
It
has
been
extended
six
times
since
and
is
due
to
expire
next
month.
The
government
is
considering
to
extend
this
life-support
scheme
for
the
poor
as
the
impact
of
the
pandemic
and
Ukraine
war
are
not
over
yet,
a
Hindustan
Times
report
said
citing
an
official.

Govt
exploring
to
add
Ayush
component
in
take-home
ration,
pilot
projects:
Official

The
report
further
added
that
there
is
adequate
stock
of
food
grains
for
the
Pradhan
Mantri
Garib
Kalyan
Anna
Yojana,
which
is
the
world’s
largest
food
security
programme.
One
of
the
officials
told
HT
that
the
government
has
recently
reviewed
the
stock
position
which
is
said
to
be
more
than
adequate
to
support
the
programme
beyond
the
second
quarter
of
this
financial
year.

The
beneficiaries
under
this
scheme
get
5kg
free
ration
per
person
per
month
in
addition
to
their
normal
quota
of
food
grains
under
the
National
Food
Security
Act.
Under
the
National
Food
Security
Act,
highly
subsidised
food
grains
are
provided
to
around
75
per
cent
rural
and
50
per
cent
urban
population
in
the
country.

The
scheme
is
likely
to
be
extended
by
another
couple
of
quarters
till
the
inflation
subsides.
A
final
decision
would
however
be
taken
soon.
The
decision
on
whether
to
extend
the
scheme
or
not
is
decided
by
the
Union
Cabinet
headed
by
the
Prime
Minister.