A relook at providing free foodgrain: Reforming PMGKAY for the future

The proportion of ineligible beneficiaries under PMGKAY is slightly lower at the national level. India has at present 192 million ration cards issued to households

The food and supplies department of the government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi has shared some startling data on the use of free foodgrain by its residents. The reported data, resulting from a survey that began some time back, shows that almost nine per cent of Delhi’s total beneficiaries of free foodgrain under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) are ineligible. Of the 0.65 million ineligible beneficiaries, as many as 96,000 are car-owners, over 89,000 beneficiaries enjoy similar benefits from other states as well, and about 0.28 million either own land, pay income tax