PM Garib Kalyan Yojana | Eligibility Criteria and Benefits Explained

Are you aware that the Indian government launched a relief package of Rs 1.70 Lakh Crore Yojana for the poor to help them fight the battle against the corona virus? This package is known as the PM Garib Kalyan Yojana or PMGKY

The scheme was initially launched in 2016 to bring back black money from tax evaders by offering them protection from government prosecution. However, in 2020, the government extended the scheme to include relief packages during the pandemic to support the livelihood of the poor during COVID related lockdowns

The scheme has been successful in achieving its objectives and has benefited millions of people in India till now. That is why In today’s blog post, we are going to discuss What is PMGKY? and How it benefits people. So if you also want to know more about this scheme then you can read this post till the end.

What is PM Garib Kalyan Yojana? And What are its Objectives

The PMGKY is a relief package launched by the Indian government to help the poor fight the battle against the coronavirus pandemic,

As we told you above that the scheme was initially launched in 2016 to bring back black money from tax evaders by offering them protection from government prosecution

However, in the year 2020, the government extended the scheme to include relief packages during the pandemic to support the livelihood of the poor during COVID related lockdowns. The package includes measures such as free foodgrains, cash transfers, and insurance coverage for health workers fighting against COVID-19. The scheme has been successful in achieving its objectives and has benefited millions of people in India

In fact, this scheme has been a game-changer for India’s poor, providing them with essential supplies and meeting their essential needs during the pandemic.

Objectives:

This scheme was very well planned and its objectives were also very excellent, which are as follows:

• To ensure that no poor person or needy remains hungry.

• To provide free foodgrains, cash transfers, and insurance coverage for health workers fighting COVID-19

• To provide 5 kg wheat or rice and 1 kg of preferred pulses for free every month for the next three months to 80 crore poor people.

• To provide ₹500 per month for the next three months to 20 crore women Jan Dhan account holders.

• To increase the MNREGA wage to ₹202 a day.

Launch date and the Concerned Ministry

The scheme was initially launched on 26 March 2020 with an announcement by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, who announced the program as part of the relief package during the COVID-19 pandemic in India

And the program is operated by the Department of Food and Public Distribution under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. However, here the nodal ministry is the Ministry of Finance.

Eligibility Criteria for PMGKY Scheme

The eligibility criteria for PMGKY are as follows:

• The scheme is applicable to all poor and vulnerable households in India.

• The scheme is applicable to women Jan Dhan account holders.

• The scheme is applicable to MNREGA workers

• The scheme is applicable to health workers fighting COVID-19

• The scheme is applicable to households covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA)

Benefits from PMGKY Scheme

The scheme has several benefits for the poor and vulnerable sections of society, including:

• Free foodgrains: 80 crore poor people are entitled to 5 kg wheat or rice and 1 kg of preferred pulses for free every month for the next three months

• Cash transfers: 20 crore women Jan Dhan account holders are entitled to ₹500 per month for the next three months.

• Insurance coverage: Health workers fighting COVID-19 are entitled to insurance cover of ₹50 Lakh per health worker under this Insurance Scheme.

• Increase in MNREGA wage: From this scheme, the MNREGA wage has also been increased to ₹202 a day.

The Challenges faced by the PM Garib Kalyan Yojana scheme

At the time of implementation, this scheme has faced several challenges, including:

• Lack of connectivity: The lack of connectivity to users who were residing in remote areas has been a significant challenge.

• Insufficiency of food grains: Warehouse issues and insufficiency of food grains and wheat have also hindered the implementation of the scheme.

• Denial of benefits: There have been many cases where the benefits of PMGKY were denied to eligible beneficiaries.

• Identification challenges: Identification of eligible beneficiaries has also been a challenge, particularly in rural areas.

• Fiscal challenge: The extension of the 5 kilograms a month food relief scheme beyond September poses a fiscal challenge for the government.

 Impact of PMGKY on the Indian Economy

This scheme has also had a significant impact on our economy that can be explained as follows:

• Relief for the poor: The PMGKY package included measures such as free food grains, cash transfers, and insurance coverage for health workers fighting COVID-19. These measures provided much-needed relief to the poor during the pandemic, helping them to meet essential needs and buy essential supplies.

• Boost to the agriculture sector: The PMGKY package also had a positive impact on the agriculture sector. The package included measures such as increased allocation for the rural employment guarantee scheme and support for farmers. These measures helped to boost the agriculture sector and support rural households, including smallholders.

• Reduction in black money: The PMGKY scheme aimed to bring back black money from tax evaders by offering them protection from government prosecution. By encouraging tax evaders to declare unaccounted money and avoid penalties and criminal prosecution, the scheme helped to reduce the amount of black money in the economy.

• Digitalization of the economy: The PMGKY package included measures such as the use of digital payments to distribute relief funds, These measures helped to promote the digitalization of the Indian economy, which has been a key trend in recent years.

Conclusion

The PM Garib Kalyan Yojana is a fantastic program by the Indian government that helps people in times of trouble. It offers crucial support like food, money, and healthcare to those who really need it. You also have to know that this plan doesn’t just assist individuals and families but it also brings everyone closer and shows that the government actually cares about us. In a world where coming together is so important, this program proves that India is dedicated to looking after its people.

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