Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched the Surat Food Security Saturation Campaign, reaffirming the government’s commitment to ensuring comprehensive food security for the underprivileged. As part of the initiative, he distributed benefits under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) to approximately 2 lakh eligible beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY).
Following a roadshow in Surat, Modi was felicitated by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Union Minister CR Patil. The campaign is part of a larger effort to strengthen food security by expanding coverage under the NFSA and PMGKAY, ensuring that no eligible individual is left without access to subsidized food grains.
The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide free, high-quality food grains to economically weaker families. In Gujarat alone, more than 76 lakh NFSA cards have been issued, covering approximately 3.72 crore people.
The Gujarat government has taken additional steps to classify beneficiaries under various social security schemes—such as the Ganga Swaroopa Aarthik Sahay Yojana for widows, the Vruddh Pension Sahay Yojana for the elderly, and the Divyang Sahay Yojana for persons with disabilities—as priority households under the NFSA, regardless of their income. This move ensures that they receive both subsidized food grains and additional free food grains under PMGKAY.
Under PM Modi’s scheme saturation approach and CM Bhupendra Patel’s commitment to Antyodaya Kalyan (upliftment of the underprivileged), the Surat District Food Security Saturation Campaign was launched to bring more eligible beneficiaries under the scheme.
Special efforts were made to identify and include marginalized groups, including widowed women, elderly individuals, persons with disabilities, and daily wage earners who were not previously covered.
The district administration conducted a detailed survey to map existing beneficiaries and identify those still excluded. Taluka and zonal-level teams worked in mission mode over the past year to ensure that all eligible individuals were brought under NFSA coverage.
As a result, approximately 2 lakh beneficiaries have now been identified and included under the scheme, ensuring that they receive regular food security benefits.
As per NFSA provisions, each cardholder is entitled to 5 kilograms of food grains, including wheat and rice, per person per month. In addition to this, the Gujarat government provides further nutritional support through subsidized essential food items.
Beneficiaries receive Toor Dal at ₹50 per kg, Chana (chickpeas) at ₹30 per kg, and Sugar at ₹15 per kg for Antyodaya Anna Yojana beneficiaries, while Below Poverty Line beneficiaries receive sugar at ₹22 per kg. Double-Fortified Salt is also made available at ₹1 per kg to enhance nutritional security.
To further support beneficiaries during festive periods, the state government provides additional rations. During Janmashtami and Diwali, NFSA cardholders receive an extra 1 kg of sugar per card and 1 litre of double-filtered groundnut oil at a subsidized rate of ₹100 per litre.
(Inputs from ANI)
