The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), a free foodgrain programme, will be extended by the Centre for a further five years, ending in December 2028. The total subsidy amount is estimated to be £118 billion. Eight hundred and three million underprivileged participants in the programme will receive 5 kg of food grains per month. A 35 kg supply of wheat is also provided to each family that is eligible for the Antyodaya programme. PM Narendra Modi had announced the extension of the scheme for five years, which was cleared by the Cabinet.
The current calendar year (2023) has a subsidy payout under the system of approximately £20 billion; however, the government has budgeted a little extra, allowing for an increase in the minimum support price (MSP) of 7-8% annually as well as other costs.
Anurag Singh Thakur, Minister of Information and Broadcasting, stated that the government's top goal is guaranteeing that every low-income resident receives their allotted share, and the central government will make sure there is never a shortage of money for buying grains. Wheat was priced at Rs 2 per kg and rice at Rs 3 per kg until a year ago, when the government decided to give it away for free and remove the extra quota of free grains that had been given during the Covid-19 period.