New Delhi: The Joint Secretary of the Union Ministry of Food and Public Distribution, S.Jagannathan held a meeting through video conferencing with the food supply secretaries of the states and union territories and officials of this department. The meeting lasted for about an hour.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) was discussed in detail. There were also discussions related to the free distribution of grains through the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and lifting and distribution of food grains being done by the States and Union Territories.
According to the sources, the meeting discussed how to provide food to the needy amid the ongoing COvid-19 crisis. The meeting also confirmed that all the 80 crore beneficiaries of the National Food Security Scheme (NFSA) should get free ration in the Corona crisis. It should be kept in mind that all the states and union territories should not only spend time in the lifting of grain but also distribute it in time.
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It has also been asked to send the distribution report every week. The distribution of foodgrains allocated for May should be done in the same month itself. There should not be hoarding and black marketing. The goal of the central government is that no poor go hungry in the Corona crisis.
It has been said in the meeting that the state and union territories should motivate the migrant population residing here to get free food grains under the 'One Nation Ration Card Scheme' (ONORC). Free ration can be taken from any government ration shop across the country through a single ration card.
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Earlier the central government had instructed the state and union territories to follow government rules in the corona crisis and lockdown and to open government ration shops till late and seven days a week, so that the poor don't have trouble getting free grains.
Meanwhile, 80 million beneficiaries of NFSA are being given five kilograms of foodgrains (wheat-rice) per month per person for free under PMGKAY in May and June. 16 states and union territories have also lifted the entire foodgrains allocated for May. Delivery is also going on. So far, a total of 36 states and union territories have lifted 31.80 LMT food grains.
