Beneficiaries set to receive free rice under PMGKAY from Aug 1

Tirupati: At last, the state government has decided to distribute free rice to the beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) from August 1, following the agitation of the BJP state unit. Accordingly, the Tirupati district administration also has geared up to implement the scheme and has been making arrangements.

The scheme was launched by the Central government during the first nationwide lockdown due to Covid-19 in March 2020 and has been extending its duration since then. In March this year, it was further extended till September 2022. However, the state BJP unit took up the issue of non-implementation of the scheme in AP since April.

The state BJP chief, Somu Veerraju, has even alleged that the government was selling the rice meant for distribution under the PMGKAY. BJP MP G V L Narasimha Rao even requested the Union minister for food and consumer affairs Piyush Goyal to intervene in the matter as the Central government is bearing the full cost of free rice distribution under the scheme.

During last week, Goyal has made it clear the scheme should be implemented or else the Centre will stop rice procurement in the state, the AP government has decided to start the programme from August 1 and issued guidelines.

Following this, joint collector of Tirupati district D K Balaji directed the officials of the civil supplies department to distribute the free rice under PMGKAY along with PDS rice being distributed every month.

He said that there are 5,89,250 rice cards in the district out of which 4,49,704 are eligible under national food security act (NFSA) and will get PMGKY free rice. The remaining card holders will get PDS rice only.

He said that rice release orders, lifting of PMGKAY rice and PDS rice separately from mandal level stock (MLS) points has to be completed and should reach the dealers by July 30. The pamphlets regarding the coupons and other details relating to PMGKAY should be distributed from now onwards. The distribution details of free rice under both PMGKAY and PDS schemes are to be displayed at all ration shops.