mpost bureauNew Delhi: The government on Monday ruled out the possibility of free foodgrains distribution to migrants saying there is no panic situation and no complete national lockdown unlike last year.
However, the government has started distributing additional free grains again under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) for two months — May and June — to 80 crore ration cardholders.
The government said there is no impact on prices of foodgrains in the open market due to free grains distribution under PMGKAY.
"Migrant crisis is not as big as it was last year. ... It is not a complete national lockdown. It is a local lockdown, industry is working. The complete lockdown is not there. That panic is also not there," Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey said in a virtual press meet. Those migrants, who have gone back to their villages, are availing ration supply either through state or central ration cards, he said.
The Secretary was responding to a query why the government has not announced a free grains scheme for migrants amid resurgence of the COVID cases.
Last year, the government had distributed 6.40 lakh tonne of foodgrains for free to migrants and stranded migrants. Stating that there is an increase in use of ration card portability service during the pandemic year since April 2020, Pandey said almost 18.3 crore portable transactions have taken place during the COVID period, out of the total 26.3 crore transaction ever since this service was launched in August 2019. "This is a very startling figure, which shows people have made use of the portability service quite extensively," he added.
The Secretary said, "So far, states have lifted 40 per cent of their monthly quota under PMGKAY. We hope the distribution for the month of May is as per the schedule. Under PGMKAY, additional 5 kg grains per beneficiary per month is given via ration shops. This is over and above the existing quota given under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). As per the official data, a little over 1 lakh tonne of foodgrains has been distributed for free so far this month. Against the monthly allocation of 39.69 lakh tonne under PMGKAY, already 13 states including Maharashtra and Jharkhand have lifted the 15.55 lakh tonne of grains, the data showed.