Bhubaneswar: Biju Janta Dal (BJD) on Friday demanded the resumption of free food distribution under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) in Odisha.
This comes after the Union government in December last year announced the discontinuation of the PMGKAY from January 1, this year.
Addressing a press conference, BJD Rajya Sabha MP and National Spokesperson Sasmit Patra said, “10 kgs of rice per person per month was being provided to 3.25 crore people of Odisha, 5 kg under National Food Security Act (NFSA) and 5 kg under PMGKAY. However, the Centre has now stopped the PMGKAY.
The Centre stopping 5kg free rice/person per month under PMGKAY will badly affect the poor and farmers. It will adversely affect individual households and families.”
He claimed that stopping PMGKAY will severely affect the food security of the poor and paddy procurement and MSP of farmers.
“Individual families like Malkangiri’s Sanjukta Mandal’s family of 5 members used to get 50 kgs rice per month will now get only 25 kgs per month, drastically affecting the family. Poor people especially needed PMGKAY support after COVID Many eligible families of Odisha are deprived and should be included in the programme,” he said.
“Poor people especially needed PMGKAY support after COVID Many eligible families of Odisha are deprived and should be included in the programme,” the BJD leader added. Biju Janta Dal (BJD) on Friday demanded the resumption of free food distribution under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) in Odisha.
He further stated that after the COVID pandemic and all savings were exhausted, the poor needed the PMGKAY support for a much longer time.
Patra, in a tweet, sought a clarification from Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan as to why Centre stopped the free rice.
. @dpradhanbjp Babu, it would have been better if you had clarified that isn’t it a fact that the Centre has stopped the PMGKAY free rice of 5 kgs per person per month for 3.25 crore people of Odisha ? Let the truth be heard by the people of Odisha…(Tweet 1/2)
— ଡ଼ଃ ସସ୍ମିତ ପାତ୍ର I Dr. Sasmit Patra (@sasmitpatra) January 6, 2023
