Uttar Pradesh is celebrating Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Yojana Day on August 5. On the occasion, a large scale awareness program will be conducted in the entire state to ensure that no beneficiary is left behind in availing the scheme. About 15 crore beneficiaries of the state are getting free ration through the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY). In the state, about 80,000 government ration shops are providing food grains to the beneficiaries under the scheme.
On August 5, free ration will be distributed to 80 lakh people in a day through 80,000 ration shops in Uttar Pradesh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact directly with the beneficiaries of PMGKAY while CM Yogi Adityanath will distribute food grains to the poor and needy in Ayodhya.
Under this scheme, the central government for 11 months and the state government for five months has given more than 10 crore quintals of free ration to the people during the coronavirus period. In the state of UP, 15 crore people are getting free ration every month. CM Yogi had directed that not a single needy should be deprived of ration. If there is no ration card, then it should be made immediately. Due to distribution of ration through e-POS machines to the state government, subsidy of more than Rs 3,263 crores was saved till May.
During the coronavirus period, ration was delivered to more than 8,137 helpless people at their homes. During this, five kg of wheat, rice and gram were also given per unit. This scheme has been extended till December now.