The government of India is bearing Food Subsidies for procuring, allocating, transporting and delivering foodgrains to the designated depot in the States under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana
The Central Government, to remove the financial burden of the poor beneficiaries and to ensure nationwide uniformity and effective implementation of the National Food Security Act (2013), is providing food grains free of cost to Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households and Priority Households (PHH) beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), for one year beginning from 1st January 2023.
The decision was taken to strengthen the provisions of the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) in terms of accessibility, affordability and availability of entitled foodgrains for the poor and ensure effective and uniform implementation of the National Food Security Act 2013 (ONE NATION- ONE PRICE -ONE RATION).
The Central Government fully bears the Food Subsidy for procuring, allocating, transporting and delivering the foodgrains to the designated depot in the States with the help of the two food subsidy schemes, namely, Food Subsidy to FCI and Food Subsidy to Decentralised Procurement (DCP) States. These two food subsidy schemes have been subsumed as Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) for effective and uniform implementation of the National Food Security Act, 2013 as well as to strengthen the Food Security network in the country. Under this scheme, free foodgrains are being distributed through Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) from 1st January 2023. The additional cost of making foodgrains free of cost to the NFSA beneficiaries is being borne by the Government of India.