Centre allocated 198.78 lakh metric tonnes of food grains under fourth phase of PMGKAY: Official

By Nishant Ketu
New Delhi [India], July 5 : The government has allocated 198.78 lakh metric tonnes of food grains under the fourth phase of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojna (PMGKAY), the secretary of the Department of Food and Public Distribution Sudhanshu Pandey said on Monday.
Pandey, while addressing the media personnel, also informed that PMGKAY is the longest-running exercise of distributing free food grains to people started by the Central government.
"PMGKAY is the best ever initiative to provide free food grains to the people during a tough time of COVID pandemic. The Centre is running the longest ever exercise of distributing free food grains to people during this pandemic," Pandey said.
Under the PMGKAY scheme, a total of 305 LMT food grains were allocated in the first and second phases of the initiative, i.e., between April to November last year.
The Secretary of the Department of Food and Public Distribution said that under the third and fourth phase of the PMGKAY, as many as 80 Crore National Food Security Act (NFSA) beneficiaries were benefited under the scheme.
"Total 79.39 LMT of food grains were provided under phase three of PMGKAY to the beneficiaries, i.e., from May to June. Total 198.78 LMT has been allocated to states and UTs for the fourth phase of the scheme. About 14,700 metric tonnes has already been allocated," he said.
Regarding the One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) Scheme, Pandey said that 32 states and UTs have rolled out the scheme and the remaining states and UTs are expected to roll it out in the near future.
It was also informed that the Department of Food and Public Distribution will soon finalise a model guideline based on suggestions received from states and UTs, for a common list of factors for inclusion and exclusion of Ration Card beneficiaries after due deliberation with States and other Ministries and concerned Departments.