Chhattisgarh govt announces free rice to poor families for next 5 years starting January 2024

The Chhattisgarh BJP government has opted to distribute free rice to impoverished families for a period of five years, starting from January 2024, according to a government official's statement on Tuesday. This initiative is expected to positively impact over 67 lakh beneficiaries.

The government has decided to provide free rice to poor families for the next five years under the Chhattisgarh State Food Security Act on the lines of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement to extend for five years the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana covering 80 crore poor people, he said. The Food and Civil Supplies Department on Tuesday issued a directive to all district collectors on the direction of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, he said.

Directives have been issued for the complimentary provision of food grains, aligning with the monthly entitlement, for the upcoming five years spanning from January 2024 to December 2028. This initiative is specifically targeted at Antyodaya and priority category ration card-holders, mirroring the provisions of the National Food Security Act.

The resolution is poised to be advantageous for 67,92,153 eligible ration card holders falling within the categories of Antyodaya, priority, differently-abled, and single destitute. These individuals will receive free rice through fair price shops in accordance with their eligibility, as stated by the official.