PM Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana For 80 Crore Beneficiaries Extended Till November: PM

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his sixth address to the nation amid the COVID-19 pandemic, announced on Tuesday that PM Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana will be extended till festivals like Diwali and Chhath Puja which is till the end of November.

About 80 crore beneficiaries will get five kilogrammes of wheat or rice and each family will also get one kilo chana for free till the end of November. For the purpose, Rs 90,000 crore will be spent by the government.

On Unlock 2, the PM asked citizens to take care of themselves amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He said India is in a stable condition when compared to other countries in terms of death rate and this was possible due to timely lockdown measures.

Modi said as India opened for Unlock-1, authorities have reported several lockdown violations. People were seen not wearing masks or maintaining physical distancing. He said that focus needs to shift on containment zones and citizens must also cooperate and convince others to follow protocols.

“People who are not following the rules will have to be convinced, stopped, and asked to follow the rules,” he said.

"If you see someone flouting norms, tell them to not do so," he added.

The PM reiterated that physical distancing must be maintained. “Everyone should try to stay healthy, maintain a distance of two metres (do gaz ki doori), use a cloth or face cover or masks. Do not neglect any of the preventive measures," he urged.

The Prime Minister said under the Prime Minister’s Garib Kalyan Yojana scheme, the government had announced Rs 1.75 lakh crore package. “In the last three months, Rs 31,000 crore has been deposited in bank accounts of 20 crore poor families. Also, Rs 18,000 crore has been deposited in bank accounts of more than nine crore farmers,” he adds.

On One Nation, One Ration Card, the PM said that the scheme's major beneficiaries will be those who move to other states for employment, adding that the government is working on it.

PM Modi signed off his speech by thanking farmers and honest tax payers of the country for whom it was possible to distribute free rations to the needy.

Modi had last addressed the nation on May 12 during where he had announced Rs 20 lakh crore financial package to boost the economy which was affected by COVID-19 lockdown.