Free ration was distributed to 2.67 crore migrant workers per month in May and June against the target of 8 crore under the Atmanirbhar Bharat package announced following the COVID-19 outbreak, Parliament was informed on Tuesday. Under the scheme, 5 kg foodgrains per person and 1 kg pulses per household was to be distributed for free to 8 crore migrants who neither have a central or state ration card. Initially, the scheme was for two months (May to June). Later, it was extended till August.
“Until August 31, about 2.67 lakh tonnes (provisional) of foodgrains have been distributed under the scheme to about 2.67 crore persons (i.e. 94.6 per cent of estimated beneficiaries by States/UTs) per month for the months of May and June,” Minister of State for Food and Consumer Affairs Danve Raosaheb Dadarao said. The minister, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha, further said the Centre had liberally allocated foodgrains to cover maximum migrants/stranded migrants.
The government had allocated 8 lakh tonnes for two months. Responsibility of identification of beneficiaries under this scheme was entrusted with states, which initially indicated about 2.8 crore total migrant population, he added. Since the identification of migrants took substantial time, the Centre extended the distribution period of foodgrains till August 31 this year, the minister said.
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