No plans to cover additional poor families under AAY: Thomas

NEW DELHI: The Centre today said it has no plans to increase the number of poor beneficiaries under the Antodaya Anna Yojana ( AAY) for entitlement of highly subsidised foodgrains through ration shops.

At present, there are 2.43 crore poorest of poor families under AAY category. Each AAY family gets 35 kg of rice and wheat at Rs 2/kg and Rs 3/kg, respectively, every month.

When asked about the existing mechanism to ensure foodgrains to future beneficiaries of AAY, Food Minister K V Thomas said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha: "Does not arise as there is no proposal under consideration of the government to increase the number of AAY beneficiaries."

Requests have been received from state governments, especially from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and Jammu and Kashmir for coverage of additional families under AAY, he said.

But the request could not be acceded to as the state governments are required to identify AAY families within the ceiling allocated to each state, he noted.

Against the ceiling of 2.50 crore families, the states have reported issuance of AAY ration cards to 2.43 crore families, the minister added.

He also mentioned that state governments are advised from time to time to review the list of AAY beneficiaries and remove the ineligible beneficiaries so as to include only the most eligible.