The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY) is a program within the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. Its purpose is to provide free food grains to migrants and poor individuals.
- Phase I ran from April to June 2020
- Phase II operated from July to November 2020
- Phase III was active from May to June 2021
- Phase IV covered the period from July to November 2021
- Phase V extended from December 2021 to March 2022
The scheme offers 5kg of free food grains monthly to poor individuals. This benefit is provided on top of the subsidized ration (costing Rs 2-3 per kg) that families receive through the Public Distribution System (PDS) under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). It’s important to note that the quantity and type of food grains, as well as the amount provided, may vary.
Phase VI : Phase VI of the PMGKAY scheme, running from April to September 2022, is expected to require an additional food subsidy of approximately Rs. 80,000 Crore.
Note : Check One Nation One Ration Card Scheme which provides an option to all eligible ration cardholders or beneficiaries covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 for accessing their entitlements from anywhere in India.
Benefits :
- The PMGKAY program provides each family with a ration card 5 kg of free food grain. This is in addition to the 5 kg of subsidized food grain already offered through the Public Distribution System (PDS).
- Wheat has been allocated to 6 specific States and Union Territories: Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Delhi, and Gujarat. The remaining States and Union Territories receive rice.
Eligibility Criteria :
- Families belonging to Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Households (PHH) categories will be eligible for the scheme.
- PHH are to be identified by State Governments/Union Territory Administrations as per criteria evolved by them. AAY families are to be identified by States/UTs as per the criteria prescribed by the Central Government:
- Households headed by widows or terminally ill persons or disabled persons or persons aged 60 years or more with no assured means of subsistence or societal support.
- Widows or terminally ill persons or disabled persons or persons aged 60 years or more or single women or single men with no family or societal support or assured means of subsistence.
- All primitive tribal households.
- Landless agriculture labourers, 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, destitutes and other similar categories in both rural and urban areas.
- All eligible Below Poverty Line families of HIV positive persons
Documents Required :
- Ration Card
- Aadhaar Card (if seeded with Ration Card)
Application Process :
Interested persons shall visit the nearest Fair Price Shop with the Ration Card :
- Beneficiaries can quote either their ration card number or the Aadhaar number to any Fair Price Shop dealer across the country.
- Beneficiaries can undergo Aadhaar authentication by using their fingerprints or iris-based identification.