Characterizing the motto “Sarvajan Hitaya, Sarvajan Sukhay”, the decisive and sensitive state government of Gujarat is committed to ensuring that all citizens get adequate and timely food. This government led by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel is always striving to provide food security and nutrition security to the citizens. On August 3, the completion of five years of this government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be present virtually at the food distribution program organized under the theme “Food for All, Nutrition for All”.
The Prime Minister will distribute 5 kg kits of food grains per beneficiary to over four and a half lakh poor, Antyodaya beneficiaries from more than 17,000 government-approved food grains fair price shops. Apart from that, Chief Minister and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Jayesh Radadia will also join the state-level program at Dahod. While the Prime Minister will interact directly with the beneficiaries at five fair price shops in five districts. In addition, under NFSA, an estimated 72 lakh families (population of 3.5 crores) will be provided five kg of food grains and bags per person. An estimated 8 lakh 50 thousand people will participate in the entire program.
The beneficiaries registered under the National Food Security Act are given milk and rice every month at concessional rates for food security as per their eligibility. As of March 2021, 346.90 lakh citizens of 71.44 lakh families have been covered under NFSA. The state government has also decided to include all disabled beneficiaries and Gangaswarup (widow) women registered under the state’s Women and Child Development Department, construction workers registered under the Construction Workers Welfare Board under the Labor and Employment Department under NFSA. Not only this, the eligibility age of the elderly person for this scheme has been reduced from 65 years to 60 years.
The state government is standing firm on the side of the Antyodaya families by deciding to provide free food grains to 80 percent of the citizens of the state during the lockdown in the difficult times of Corona. During the lockdown in the COVID-19 epidemic by the sensitive government, 3.21 crore families of 65.40 lakh families included under the “National Food Security Act” (NFSA) and NFSA. 14.92 lakh population of 3.40 lakh BPL families who could not be included under NFSA. Wheat, rice, chickpeas, sugar and salt “food baskets” were distributed free of cost to 3.36 crore population of 68.80 lakh households from April to June. For the first time, a population of 2.50 crore middle-class families of 61.04 lakh APL-1 category who could not be included under 10 kg per family per month. Wheat 3 kg. Rice 1 kg. Chanadal 1 kg. The quantity of sugar was distributed free of charge. Apart from that, wheat, rice, gram, sugar and salt were distributed free of cost by the state government at that time to the destitute, needy people, distressed, foreign laborers under the state’s “Annabrahm” scheme and by extending the scope of the scheme. Grain worth Rs 2,000 crore was distributed free of cost by the state government during the Corona period.