Prime Minister Narendra Modi has played a big deal on Saturday before the assembly elections in five states.
PM Modi has announced in Durg, Chhattisgarh that the free ration scheme will be extended for five more years.
Modi said, I have decided that the BJP government will now extend the scheme of providing free ration to 80 crore poor people of the country for the next 5 years. Your love and blessings always give me the strength to take sacred decisions.
Modi said that Congress never gave anything to the poor except deception. Congress never respects the poor. It never understand the pain and suffering of the poor. Therefore, as long as the Congress remained in the central government, it kept looting the rights of the poor. After coming to government in 2014, your son made poor welfare his biggest priority. We instilled confidence in our poor brothers and sisters that their poverty can be eradicated.
Modi said, in just 5 years of our service, more than 13.5 crore people have come out of poverty. Those who have come out of poverty are giving millions of blessings to Modi today. We made such policies that every poor became Modi’s companion by becoming the biggest soldier to end his poverty. The BJP government worked with great patience and honesty. For Modi, the biggest caste in the country is only one – the poor. Modi is his servant, of his brothers, his son who is poor.
The PM said, many friends here go out for work, for that the BJP government has made such arrangements that even if you go to any part of the country, you will continue to get free ration. That is why Modi has given you the facility of One Nation-One Ration Card.
PM said, the Congress government of Chhattisgarh has not even left the name of Mahadev. Just 2 days ago, a big action was taken in Raipur, a huge pile of money was found. People are saying that this money belongs to speculators and gamblers, which they have accumulated by robbing the poor and youth of Chhattisgarh. It is coming in the media that the strings of this money are going to Chhattisgarh. The government and the Chief Minister should tell the people of Chhattisgarh what their relations are with the accused of this scam sitting in Dubai. After all, why is the Chief Minister upset after this money is seized?
Let us tell you that under the National Food Security Act, the Central Government provides free ration to 80 crore people of the country. In December 2022, this scheme was extended for one year. This scheme causes an additional burden of Rs 2 lakh crore annually on the Central Government. The poor do not have to pay even a single rupee for ration.
After the cabinet meeting last year, Union Food and Public Distribution Minister Piyush Goyal had said that under the National Food Security Act, the government provides rice, wheat and coarse grains at the rate of Rs 3,2,1 per kg respectively.
The government has decided that it will be available completely free of cost till December 2023.
Earlier in September 2022, the government had extended the deadline of this scheme for three months till December 31. This scheme was brought to provide relief to poor people during the time of Covid. In 28 months, the government had spent Rs 1.80 lakh crore on free ration to the poor.
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana was implemented in March 2020 during the Covid crisis.
80 crore people of the country get the benefit of this scheme. Under this, families with BPL cards are given 4 kg wheat and 1 kg rice free per person every month. This scheme is being expanded for the last several months
