People without ration cards left out of COVID-19 food safety net
The Hindu
Right to Food activists warn that a humanitarian crisis will erupt
People without ration cards have again been left out of the safety net provided by the second round of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), for 81 crore ration card holders in May and June. Last year, the Aatmanirbhar scheme was announced to bridge that gap, and provided free food grain to more than 2.7 crore people without ration cards, out of an initial target of 8 crore people. Asked whether a similar scheme would be implemented this year, Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey said that the ration card portability scheme and new enrolments under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) would help to mitigate the situation instead. However, Right to Food activists warn that a humanitarian crisis will erupt unless free food grain is also provided for the most vulnerable population who still do not have ration cards.More Related News
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