Cabinet clears scheme for free foodgrains to migrants for 2 months

New Delhi, May 20 (IANS) The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a scheme to provide foodgrains free of cost to the migrants/stranded migrants under the provision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ package for two months.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given its ex-post facto approval for allocation of foodgrains from Central pool to approximately eight crore migrants/stranded migrants at the rate of 5 kg per person per month (May and June, 2020) for two months free of cost, said the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution in a statement.

It would entail an estimated food subsidy of about Rs 2,982.27 crore.

Further, the expenditure towards intra-state transportation and handling charges and dealer’s margin/additional dealer margin will account for about 127.25 crore which will be borne fully by the Centre, said the statement.

Accordingly, the total subsidy from the government of India is estimated at about of Rs 3,109.52 crore.

The allocation will ease the hardships faced by migrants/stranded migrants due to economic disruption caused by COVID-19, said Food Ministry.

Only those migrants will get the benefit of this scheme who are not covered under National Food Security Act (NFSA).

–IANS

hindi/prs