Indian Government Extends The PMGKA Yojana For The Next Five Years: Check Details & Eligibility

As per the National Food Securities Act, (NFSA) 2013, the basic concept of food security globally is to ensure that all people, at all times, should get access to basic food for their active and healthy life and is characterized by availability, access, utilization and stability of food.

Though the Indian Constitution does not have any explicit provision regarding the right to food, the fundamental right to life enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution may be interpreted to include the right to live with human dignity, which may include the right to food and other necessities.India's minister of Information and Broadcasting, Mr Anurag Thakur, also the son of the former Chief Minister Of Himachal Pradesh, in a press conference on Tuesday, expressed that almost 13.5 crore Indians have been uplifted from below the poverty line in the last five years due to the policies of the current Modi government.

The government has extended the Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) for the next five years, starting from 1st January 2024. The scheme ensures that 5 kg of food grains are allocated freely, apart from the subsidized Rs. 2-3 per kg ration provided under the NFSA to families under the Public Distribution System (PDS). According to this scheme, wheat is provided to six states Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan and the union territory of Chandigarh, while rice is to be allocated for remaining states and union territories.

The free food grains are allocated to each family member of eligible household beneficiaries or NFSA beneficiaries who have a lower annual income than Rs. 3 lakhs in urban areas and Rs. 2 lakhs in rural areas. He added that, in the next five years, the government plans to ensure 11.8/- lakh crores would be spent towards this scheme promoting one nation, one ration card.

As of 2022, since the initiation of the scheme in April 2020, the Modi government has infused a total funding of more than Rs. 3.71 lakh crores. The Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) benefits almost 81 crore Indians, which is 57.5% of the current population that require government help for necessities like food, despite the nine years of Modi government's numerous promises to draw out poverty from our country. The eligibility for Antyodaya Anna Yojana or PMGKAY is as follows:

1) Citizens who don't own a land.

2) Citizens not having an owned house.

3) Citizens who don't have a fixed occupation.

4) Citizens do not have a cow rearing or poultry farm.

5) Citizens who don't have an electric connection.

6) Households headed by widows or terminally ill persons.

7) All primitive tribal households.

8) All eligible below-poverty-line families of HIV-positive persons.

9) Marginal farmers, rural artisans/craftsmen such as potters, tanners, weavers, blacksmiths, carpenters, slum dwellers, and persons earning their livelihood on daily basis in the informal sector like porters, coolies, rickshaw pullers, hand cart pullers, fruit and flower sellers, snake charmers, rag pickers, cobblers, destitute and other similar categories in both rural and urban areas.

The simple way for an eligible individual or household to apply for this particular scheme is by personally visiting the nearest Fair Price Shop or a Government registered Ration Shop, with either their ration card or through their Aadhaar number. The scheme would only be available after one person in the family goes through the fingerprint or iris-based Aadhaar authentication to avail of the free food grains once a month.