Centre allocates 1,118 lakh tonnes of food grains, Rs 3.91 lakh crore as subsidy under PMGKAY

The Centre has allocated 1,118 lakh tonnes of foodgrains to states and Union Territories so far under the free ration scheme PMGKAY with a food subsidy outlay of around Rs 3.91 lakh crore, Parliament was informed on Wednesday. The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) was launched in April 2020 and has been extended several times. In September-end, the scheme was extended for a further period of three months up to December 2022 (Phase VII).

Under the scheme, the Centre provides 5 kilograms of wheat and rice free of cost to 80 crore poor every month. This is over an above the foodgrains supplied under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

In a written reply to Lok Sabha, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal said: "So far under the PMGKAY scheme the government has allocated a total of almost 1,118 lakh tonnes foodgrains to the states/UTs (i.e total allocation from Phase I to phase VII)."


The total sanctioned outlay for food subsidy and central assistance for all phases I-VII is approximately Rs 3.91 lakh crore, he added.

In 2020-21 fiscal, Rs 1,13,185 crore was allocated to implement the PMGKAY, while Rs 1,47,212 crore was allocated in 2021-22 and Rs 1,30,600 crore in the 2022-23 fiscal.

The PMGKAY was started in April 2020 to help the poor whose livelihoods were shuttered by a nationwide lockdown aimed at containing the spread of the Coronavirus.