Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma praised the Union Cabinet’s decision to extend the distribution of free food grains under the NFSA for an another year, benefiting 81.4 cr beneficiaries.
Taking to his Twitter handle, the CM wrote, ” This will help meet the nutritional requirement of the needy…the Govt led by Hon’ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji is committed to the welfare of all sections of the society.”
Earlier on December 23, the Centre decided to extend the National Food Security Act’s (NFSA) one-year provision of free foodgrains to 81.35 crore people at an estimated cost of Rs 2 lakh crore.
It should be noted that the NFSA beneficiaries currently pay between Rs. 1-3 per kg.
Foodgrain is distributed in accordance with the Act at a rate of 5 kg per person per month for priority homes and 35 kg per family per month for Antodaya Anna Yojna (AAY) families at heavily discounted rates of Re 1, Rs 2, and Rs 3 per kg for coarse cereals, wheat, and rice, respectively.
The NFSA was enacted by the Center in July 2013, allowing 67% of the populace the legal access to food grains that are highly subsidised (75 per cent in rural regions and 50 per cent in urban areas).