Cong: PM's new year 'gift' cuts rations of 81 crore poor by 50%

New Delhi: Alleging that the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reduced the ration of the 81 crore poor people by 50 per cent in the New Year, the Congress on Tuesday said that 81 crore Indians, who were eligible for 10 kilograms of foodgrains, will now get only five kilograms of grains as Pradhan Mantri Garib Anna Kalyan Yojna has been 'scrapped'.

"The year 2023 began with the depressing news that PM Modi's Cabinet has discontinued the PMGKAY, which provided an additional 5 kgs of food grains to beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA)," said AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh.

The Congress leader further said that with the sudden reduction of rations by 50 percent, the prime minister has taken this "regressive" decision with no consultation with state governments nor any discussion in the Parliament.

The Centre had undertaken the distribution of free food grains for 28 months under PMGKAY in view of the Covid pandemic but the scheme ended in December. However, the Cabinet has decided that subsidised foodgrains distributed to about 81.35 crore beneficiaries under NFSA will be given free in 2023.

While briefing about the Cabinet decisions, Union Minister Piyush Goyal had said that 5 kg of foodgrains per person to Priority Households (PHH) beneficiaries and 35 kg per household to Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) beneficiaries (poorest of the poor) will be provided for free for the year 2023 and stressed that it showed the "sensitivity" of the Modi government.

Countering the government's claims, Ramesh on Tuesday accused the Modi government of "falsely trumpeting" the free 5 kg of grains under the NFSA as a historic decision benefiting the poor.

The main beneficiary, however, is the Modi government which will save over Rs 1 lakh crore, and not ration card holders whose spending will increase, he said in a statement.

The Congress leader further alleged that now a family of five is forced to spend around Rs 750 more every month, which is around Rs 9,000 more every year. The Congress leader also dubbed the prime minister as a 'master of U-turn', alleging that he opposed schemes like MGNREGA and NFSA during UPA, but now takes credit for them. The Modi government was forced to provide extra rations during the Covid-19 pandemic due to the deep economic distress, he said.