Extension of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana

The Narendra Modi government in India has announced the extension of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana for a period of 5 years starting from January 1, 2024. Under this scheme, poor families will receive 5 kg of free food grains per month, while Antyodaya households will receive 35 kg of free food grains per month, benefiting approximately 81 crore people. The government plans to spend a total of ₹11.80 lakh crores over the next five years on this initiative.
The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana was initially introduced in 2020 as a pandemic relief measure, providing 5 kg of free food grains per beneficiary per month in addition to the 5 kg of subsidised food grains under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). As of December 2022, the scheme, which had undergone multiple extensions, was subsumed under the NFSA, providing free ration for one year.
Additionally, the Union cabinet approved a central scheme to provide drones to 15,000 women Self Help Groups (SHGs) with an allocation of ₹1,261 crore for two years starting from the 2024-25 fiscal year. The initiative aims to enable these SHGs to offer drone rental services to farmers for agricultural purposes.
Read Now:New Zealand’s New Government Announces Reforms in First 100 Days