Centre allots 2,770 tonnes foodgrains for 14 lakh new beneficiaries in Bihar under food law: Paswan

The Centre has approved 14.04 lakh new beneficiaries in Bihar under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and allotted 2,770 tonnes of foodgrains for them, Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said on Tuesday.

The new 14.04 lakh beneficiaries will get their foodgrain entitlements under the NFSA from this month, he added.

Under the NFSA, the Centre provides 5kg of wheat and rice per person per month at a highly subsidised rate of Rs 2-3 per kg. More than 80 crore people are covered under this law across all the states and union territories.

In a series of tweets, Paswan said the food ministry had received a proposal to add 14 lakh new beneficiaries.

Till now, 8.57 crore people in Bihar were getting subsidised foodgrains under the NFSA.

Paswan said the ministry has approved the maximum limit of 8.71 crore beneficiaries for Bihar under the NFSA after examining the data available on the portal of the state government.

For the new 14.04 lakh beneficiaries, Paswan said an additional foodgrains quota of 2,769.98 tonnes allotted.

That apart, he said the Centre has also allotted 86,450 tonnes of foodgrains and 16,885 tonnes of chana for those migrant labourers in Bihar who are not covered under any central or state schemes.

Under the Rs 20 lakh crore package, the Centre announced that migrants will get 5 kg foodgrain per person per month during May-June period. Each family will get one kg of chana per month during May-June.

An estimated 86.45 lakh migrants and their 16.89 lakh families in Bihar will be benefited.

Meanwhile, the Centre announced the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) soon after the lockdown was announced on March 25 to contain the coronavirus disease.

Under this new scheme, during April-June period, the Centre will distribute 5kg of foodgrains per person per month free of cost to over 80 crore people covered under the NFSA, to provide relief to the poor. One kg free pulses too is being offered per family.

The allocation under the PMGKAY is over and above the regular entitlement under the NFSA.

With concerns being raised about the migrant workers not covered under the NFSA or any scheme run by states, the Centre last week announced free of cost foodgrains for them as well for May and June period under the Rs 20 lakh crore package.