New Delhi: The Union Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey while addressing a virtual press conference on Thursday informed that the states and Union Territories have lifted 63.67 LMT food grains for free distribution under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) from the Food Corporation of India (FCI) depots.
He also stated that out of 63.37 LMT around 28 LMT of food grains have been distributed among 55 crore beneficiaries free of cost in May.
So far, 1.3 LMT food grains have been distributed among 2.6 crore beneficiaries in June, he added.
Read:| 80LMT of food grains to be distributed under PMGKAY in May and June
"Rs 9,229 crore has been given as food subsidy so far. In May, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala, Manipur, Sikkim, Tripura, Bengal and Uttar Pradesh distributed over 90 per cent of the food grains among the needy," Pandey said.
Andaman and Nicobar, Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Daman-Diu, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Puducherry have distributed 50-90 per cent of food grains while Lakshadweep, Punjab and Uttarakhand have distributed less than 50 per cent food grains.
Read:| Joint Secretary of Ministry of Food and Public Distribution reviews PMGKAY
Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Orissa have started the distribution of food grains on June 1.
Amid the Covid crisis, the Central government is giving an additional five kg of food grains (wheat-rice) per person for May and June under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana to 80 crore beneficiaries of the National Food Security Scheme (NFSA).
The scheme is for ration cardholders and the Centre is spending Rs 26,000 over to fulfil the requirements of the poor people.
Read:| 33 states, UTs take 56.06 LMT food grains under PMGKAY
