Goa CM hails PM's free ration scheme extension announcement

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement on extending till November a free ration scheme expected to benefit 80 crore Indians. "In April, the coverage was 97.32 per cent, which went up to 99.75 per cent in May. It may reduce slightly in June as designation of containment zones may affect supplies, but it would still be above 90 per cent," he said.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement on extending till November a free ration scheme expected to benefit 80 crore Indians. PM Modi on Tuesday announced extension of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY), under which each beneficiary gets 5 kilograms of rice or wheat and one kilogram of preferred pulse per month free, till end of November.

"I welcome the extension. This is a gift to 80 crore Indians. It is a step taken by the PM to reach out to the most deprived in society," Sawant told reporters. Sawant said around four lakh people in Goa are covered under the scheme.

Meanwhile, state civil supplies minister Govind Gawade said the scheme has coverage of over 95 per cent in Goa since its launch in March during the coronavirus-induced lockdown. "In April, the coverage was 97.32 per cent, which went up to 99.75 per cent in May. It may reduce slightly in June as designation of containment zones may affect supplies, but it would still be above 90 per cent," he said.