PM Garib Kalyan Yojana extended till November end; to cost govt Rs 90,000 crore

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that PM Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY) will be extended till November end. Extension of the scheme for another 5 months will cost the government Rs 90,000 crore, added Modi. "If we also add expenditure of the past three months which has been incurred on the scheme, it amounts to nearly Rs 1.5 lakh crore," Modi said in his address to the nation. Eightly crore poor families will continue to get 5 kg of free wheat or rice and 1 kg of dal till November, Modi also said.

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"We are planning to bring 'One Nation One Ration Card'. Now a ration card is also being arranged for the whole of India. The biggest benefit of this will be to those poor colleagues who leave their village and go elsewhere for employment or other needs," Modi noted.

Modi also said that Rs 31,000 crore have been deposited directly into Jan Dhan accounts of 20 crore poor families in the last three months. Rs 18,000 crore have been deposited in the bank accounts of more than 9 crore farmers during this period, he added.

It is Modi's sixth address to the nation since the coronavirus outbreak. Prime Minister urged people to be more vigilant in the unlock phase. He also urged people to take necessary precautions, stressing that not doing so will put at risk their lives and those of others.

Modi had last addressed the nation on May 12. Then Modi had announced a Rs 20-lakh-crore financial package to boost the economy amid pandemic.

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