Nadda visits PDS outlet in Delhi, distributes foodgrains to beneficiaries of PMGKAY

New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government’s free ration scheme PMGKAY benefitted 80 crore people and did not allow the country’s poverty level to increase despite the pandemic and resultant lockdown, BJP president J P Nadda said on Wednesday.

Nadda visited a public distribution system (PDS) outlet in east Delhi’s Kailash Nagar and distributed packets of foodgrains to beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojna (PMGKAY).

He undertook the activity as part of the BJP’s ‘samajik nyay pakhwada’ (fortnight dedicated to social justice) campaign.

The Modi government is ”proactive, pro-responsive and pro-people”, the BJP president said.

The COVID-19-induced lockdown was imposed on March 24 in 2020 and Prime Minister Modi announced the PMGKAY on March 26, he said.

Under the PMGKAY, the central government provides five kg of foodgrains per person per month for free. ”Since then 80 crore people have been provided with free foodgrains. Its impact was that when people emerged out of the lockdown, the level of poverty that would have otherwise increased did not rise and Modi’s policies handled this shock,” Nadda said addressing a gathering of PMGKAY beneficiaries.

The poor people were able to sustain with dignity after the lockdown due to the scheme, he stated.

The BJP chief also referred to the WHO chief’s remarks that that Prime Minister Modi showed a way to other countries during the pandemic that apart from providing medicines they also require to arrange food and take care of economic concerns in such emergencies.

Nadda also said that people were able to move about freely during the pandemic because the Modi government provided over 185 crore doses of vaccine to 130 crore people.