FCI's Delhi region completes 5th phase of PMGKAY successfully

New Delhi: In a major achievement, the Food Corporation of India (FCI), which is a nodal agency of the Department of Food and Public Distribution for implementing the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and Pradhanmantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojna (PMGKAY), etc for ensuring food security in the country, has successfully completed the fifth phase of PMGKAY.

Notably, the fifth phase of PMGKAY was commenced in December 2021 and it continued till March 2022. Hailing the efforts of FCI employees, FCI's Delhi region general manager Shradha Sharma said that the Delhi region has completed the PMGKAY-V scheme successfully as done in the previous four phases of PMGKAY under the able guidance and leadership of FCI's CMD Atish Chandra and BK Singh, ED (North).

"A total of 1.46 lakh MT food grains were handed over to Delhi state government under the PMGKAY-V to benefit about 72.77 lakh beneficiaries covered under the National Food Security Act," she said, adding that FCI staff and workers worked beyond the normal working hours during the Covid-19 pandemic period by adhering to all Covid-19 protocols to achieve the target within the stipulated time period.

"The FCI employees worked in odd hours to make sure that no one stays hungry during the Covid-19 period," Sharma said, adding that the Delhi state government also made sincere efforts and cooperation.

PMGKAY, which is a food security welfare scheme, was announced by the Central government on March 26, 2020, for a period of three months effective from April to June, during the Covid-19 pandemic in the country. The scheme was later on extended from July-November 2020. The third phase of the scheme was rolled out for May and June 2021 and the fourth phase was for the period from July-November 2021. The Centre has further extended the scheme for next 6 months from April-September 2022.