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New Delhi : In view of lockdown in some States/UTs, that may curtail the functioning hours of Fair Price Shop (FPSs), an advisory was issued on May 15, 2021, by Department of Food and Public Distribution, GoI, to all States/UTs to keep the Fair Price Shops open preferably on all days of the month and distribute Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) III and NFSA foodgrains to the beneficiaries in a staggered manner throughout the day to allow for proper social distancing/ adherence to Covid-19 protocols at Fair Price Shops.
To facilitate this, States/UTs have been requested to ensure that Fair Price Shops are exempted from the restricted hours of opening of regular market.
The aforesaid measure will ensure that foodgrains under PMGKAY III and NFSA are made available by States/UTs to all NFSA beneficiaries in a safe and time bound manner duly observing Covid-19 protocols, as per advisories issued by this department. All States/UTs have been requested to take necessary steps for timely distribution of foodgrains at their FPSs without causing hardships to the beneficiaries, and to give wide publicity to the measures undertaken in this regard, according toa PIB release.
Distribution started implementation of “Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana” (PM-GKAY III) for two months period i.e. May and June 2021 in same pattern as earlier by providing an additional quota of free-of-cost foodgrains (Rice/Wheat) at a scale of 5 Kg per person per month, over and above their regular monthly NFSA entitlements to about 80 Crore beneficiaries covered under both categories of NFSA, namely Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Householders (PHH).