Capt urges Modi to extend PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana

CHANDIGARH: Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to extend the benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) for another six months in view of the Covid-19 crisis to facilitate free wheat and pulses to the beneficiaries of National Food Security Act (NFSA).

In a letter to the PM, Amarinder said the extension would go a long way in ensuring that the poor and the needy do not sleep hungry, and also enable them to make both ends meet.

Noting that the early announcement of the PMGKAY had provided major relief to the poor NFSA beneficiaries during the difficult times of Covid-19, the CM said the lockdown to contain the spread of the virus had not only slowed down the country’s economy but also led to a major reduction in the incomes and savings of the people.

The CM pointed out that with the lockdown now touching almost three months, the economic situation of the people, especially the poor, had not improved even after resumption of industrial activities in Punjab. Of the 2.6 lakh industrial units, 2.32 lakh resumed operations, but the loss of wages severely crippled the purchasing power of the people, he said.