Lucknow: In an effort to provide assistance and help mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19 on the poor, on August 5, free food grains will be distributed to about 80 lakh beneficiaries of Uttar Pradesh at around 80,000 fair price shops under the Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Ann Yojana.
On the same day, the Prime Minister will interact with the public representatives present at these price shops of the state through video conferencing, during which the beneficiaries will share their experiences of the ration distribution system and how it changed their lives amid the ongoing pandemic.
Around 100 beneficiaries will be invited to each fair price shop and will receive a free ration under the scheme. The Chief Minister has given instructions to ensure utmost transparency during the distribution, for which a nodal officer will be appointed at each shop.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has given directions to speed up the preparations and make all necessary arrangements. Officials have been asked to install television sets so that maximum people can get the Prime Minister’s guidance. The beneficiaries will receive the free food grain in 25 kg ration bags.
In order to help the migrants, poor and under-privileged sections of the society to tide over the hardship of corona times, the government is providing free 5 kg food grains to over 15 crore beneficiaries of the State. Under the scheme, each beneficiary receives 3 kg wheat and 2 kg rice.
Aiming at reducing woes of the economically marginalized citizens and ensuring that no one sleeps hungry in the state amid the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic, the Uttar Pradesh government has so far distributed approximately 100 Lakh MT of free food grains in the State since the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic (April 2020).
As per the Chief Minister’s directives, the distribution was carried out entirely through PoS devices with biometric Aadhaar and dealer authentication in an utmost transparent manner.
The Yogi-led government in Uttar Pradesh has distributed around 7639378.955 MT of free food grains under PMGKAY. While approximately 2360402.64 MT of free ration was separately distributed by the government, which is ‘over and above’ the ration being distributed under PMGKAY. The total distribution amounts to 100 lakh MT in the state.
With a strong will to conquer the war against Covid-19 along with saving the livelihoods of people, CM Yogi Adityanath is making all efforts to provide relief to the weaker section amid the pandemic. Along with PMGKAY, the UP government of Yogi Adityanath is also distributing free ration, giving double relief to the people. The distribution by the state continued from April to June in 2020, while in 2021, the Yogi government announced the distribution to be carried out for the month of June, July, and August.
Notably, there are more than 1,30,07,969 units of beneficiaries under the Antyodaya Ann Yojna and over 13,41,77, 983 units under Priority Household cardholders
43,572 cardholders in other states and 6616 cardholders from other states took ration.
Under the One Nation, One Ration Card scheme, the facility of national portability has been implemented in the state since June last year, under which 43,572 cardholders of the state have taken ration from other states and 6616 cardholders of other states have availed free ration in Uttar Pradesh.
The ration was delivered to more than 8137 helpless people at their homes.
Five kg ration per unit has been given by the central and state government for 16 months, that is, 80 kg ration has been given to a person so far. Apart from this, more than 8137 helpless people of the state have received free ration by the Food and Logistics Department at their homes.
