Lok Sabha Question No. 1827 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: Free Foodgrains under PMGKAY
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Shri Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY  OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1827

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10TH DECEMBER, 2025

## FREE FOODGRAINS UNDER PMGKAY

## + 1827. SHRI SANJAY HARIBHAU JADHAV:

Will  the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state:

- (a) the number and details of  beneficiaries who have received free foodgrains under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) during the last five  years, especially in Maharashtra particularly  of Parbhani Parliamentary constituency;
- (b) the impact of PMGKAY  in ensuring food security among the economically weaker sections especially in Parbhani Parliamentary constituency;
- (c) the measures taken by  the Government to  strengthen the logistics and supply chain mechanism for uninterrupted distribution offoodgrains under PMGKAY  in Maharashtra;
- (d) the details of  integrated technology  to ensure transparency  in distribution  under PM(JKAY and reduce leakages; and
- (e) the details of the review conducted by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS. FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

(SHRIMATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI  BAMBHANIYA)

(a) &  (b): A  Statement indicating the number of  beneficiaries covered under the Pradhan Mantd Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) during last five  years in the country (including State of Maharashtra) is as follows:

| Financial Year              | Number of beneficiaries covered under the PMGKAY (in lakh)   | Number of beneficiaries covered under the PMGKAY (in lakh)   |
|-----------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|
|                             | All India                                                    | Maharashtra                                                  |
| 2020-2 1 (As on 31.03.2021) | 7932.80                                                      | 700.17                                                       |
| 2021 -22 (As on 31.03.2022) | 7972.53                                                      | 700. 17                                                      |
| 2022-23 (As on 3 1.03.2023) | 8010.70                                                      | 700.17                                                       |
| 2023-24 (As on 3 1.03.2024) | 8049.94                                                      | 700.17                                                       |
| 2024-25 (As on 3 1.03.2025) | 8056.05                                                      | 700.17                                                       |
| 2025-26 (As on 30.11.2025)  | 8056.05                                                      | 700. 17                                                      |

Constituency-wise beneficiary  data is not maintained by the Central Government.

- (c): The PMGKAY  was launched with  the specific purpose of ameliorating the hardships  faced by the poor and needy due to economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 outbreak in the country. In view of COVID crisis, the allocation of free foodgrains, under PMGKAY was in addition to regular allocation for around 80 crore beneficiaries. A  total  quantity of  approx. 1118 LMT  foodgrains was allocated under PMGKAY (Phase I-VII) for  the period of  28 months with  a total planned financial  outlay was about Rs. 3.91 lakh crore.

The Central Government, in order to  remove the financial burden of  the poor beneficiaries and to ensure nationwide uniformity  and effective implementation of the programme for support of the poor, had decided to provide food grains free of  cost to Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households and Priority  Households (PHH) beneficiaries, beginning from  lst  January 2023 under the PMGKAY.  The period for distribution  of free of cost foodgrains has been extended for  five years from  lst  January, 2024, with  an estimated financial  outlay  of  Rs. 11.80 lakh crore totally  to be borne by Central Government.

- (d): Targeted Public Distribution  System (TPDS) is now governed as per the provisions of the National Food Security Act,  2013 (NFS A),  which is operated under the joint  responsibility of the Central and State/Union Territory  (UT)  Governments. Central  Government is  responsible for procurement, allocation and transportation of foodgrains upto the designated depots of the Food Corporation of  India.  The  operational responsibilities for  allocation of  foodgrains within  the States/UTs, distribution of foodgrains to eligible beneficiaries under TPDS and supervision over and monitoring of functioning of Fair Price Shops (FPSs), etc rest with the concerned State/UT Government

(e) &  (f): in  order to  ensure proper  functioning  of  the  Act,  reforms  in  the  Targeted Public Distribution  System  are being undertaken in consonance with  Section 12 of the Act.  Some of these reforms include digitization  of ration cards / beneficiaries database, seeding  of unique identification numbers (Aadhaar) in  digitized  database, online  allocation  of  foodgrains, computerization of Supply Chain Management, automation of  Fair  Price Shops, portability  of  ration  cards, full transparency of  records and putting  in  place of  a strong Grievance redressal machinery. States are undertaking updation of  their  beneficiary database so that bogus ration cards get deleted and better targeting of  rightful  beneficiaries is ensured.  Thus, deletion of  ineligible  beneficiaries and addition of eligible beneficiaries under the Act  is a continuous process.