Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to extend the benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) for another six months in view of the Covid crisis to facilitate free wheat and pulses to the beneficiaries of the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
In a letter to the Prime Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh said the extension would go a long way in ensuring that the poor and needy do not sleep hungry and would enable them to make both ends meet.
The Chief Minister urged the PM to advise the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Government of India, accordingly.
Noting that the early announcement of the PMGKAY had provided major relief to the poor NFSA beneficiaries during Covid, the Chief Minister said the nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the pandemic had not only slowed down the country’s economy but also led to a major reduction in the incomes and savings of the people.
The Chief Minister pointed out that with the lockdown now touching almost three months, the economic situation of the people, especially the poor, had not improved much even after resumption of industrial activities in Punjab. Of the 2.60 lakh industrial units in the state, more than 2.32 lakh units had resumed operations, but the loss of wages over the past few months had severely crippled the purchasing power of the people, especially the poor NFSA beneficiaries, he said.
The Chief Minister wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that with the lockdown period now touching almost three months, the economic condition of people, especially the poor, had not improved much even after resumption of industrial activity in Punjab.
