Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Saturday the extension of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, a free ration scheme, for an additional five years, benefiting 80 crore impoverished individuals. He highlighted the genesis of the program during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing his commitment to ensuring that no impoverished person would go hungry. The scheme, initiated by the BJP government, has been providing free rice and gram to lakhs of individuals, and despite its initial expiration in December, Modi assured its extension for the next five years.
Modi’s Vision for Inclusive Ration Distribution and BJP’s Commitment to the Poor
Modi assured that the BJP government has implemented measures to ensure that free ration will be accessible nationwide, introducing the ‘One Nation One Ration Card’ initiative for this purpose. He asserted the government’s dedication to the welfare of the poor, contrasting this with what he alleged to be the Congress party’s exploitation of the poor as a mere vote bank.
BJP’s Anti-Poverty Mission
PM Modi outlined the BJP’s achievements in poverty reduction, claiming that 13.50 crore people have risen above poverty in the last five years under the BJP’s governance.
In the context of Chhattisgarh’s upcoming assembly polls, Modi expressed optimism that the BJP, when in power, would accelerate the construction of houses for numerous underprivileged families. The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, initially initiated in April 2020 as a three-month relief measure during the COVID-19 pandemic, has been providing 5 kg of food grains monthly to eligible poor families.
