Free ration will be given to  800 million people till Diwali : PM Modi

The Prime Minister announced free ration for the poor under Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Yojana till Diwali.

P.M  Narendra Modi addressed the nation at 5 p.m. on Monday, hours after announcing the same on Twitter.He said that the government has decided to extend the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana till Diwali in the wake of the 2nd Covid-19 wave in the country.

“Today, the central government has decided that the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana will be extended till Diwali. During this time to crisis, the government is with the poor. Free food grains will be available in fixed quantity every month for over 800 million citizens till November,” the Prime Minister said.

The scheme was earlier rolled out for three months from April 2020 soon after the nationwide lockdown was announced to combat the COVID-19. The scheme was later extended till November 2020.

In June 30, 2020, in a televised address to the nation, the prime minister said over Rs 90,000 crore will be spent on the programme’s extension.

Prime Minister Modi did not reveal the expenditure that the Centre will incur in the current phase of the scheme in his today’s address.