The Centre on Monday ruled out the possibility of free food grains 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.
“Migrant crisis is not as big as it was last year. ... It is not a complete national lockdown. It is a local lockdown, the 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. The Government said there is no impact on the prices of food grains in the open market due to free grains distribution under PMGKAY. 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 a resurgence of the Covid cases.
Last year, the government had distributed 6.40 lakh tonne of foodgrains for free to migrants and stranded migrants.