Chhattisgarh

• 28 Dec 2023

Free Rice to Ration Card Holders

Why in News?

Recently, the Chhattisgarh government has announced free rice through fair price shops to 67.92 lakh eligible ration card holders eligible under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana from January 2024.

Antyodaya Anna Yojana is the sponsored scheme of the Government to provide highly subsidized food to millions of the poorest families.

Key Points

• This scheme will be implemented for the next five years from January 2024 to December 2028, under the Chhattisgarh Food and Nutrition Security Act, 2013.
  • Free rice will be distributed to beneficiaries from priority, differently abled and extremely poor people’s categories.
• As per the food department there were over 14.92 lakh ration card holders in Antyodaya category:
  • 52.46 lakh were from priority category,
  • 37,708 from single-destitute category and
  • 15,351 from disabled category.

• National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA): It ensures access to affordable and good-quality food by subsidizing food grains to those below the poverty line.
• Fair price shops (FPS): It is a government-run or government-regulated retail outlet or store in India.
  • It is to distribute essential commodities like food grains, edible oils, sugar, and other basic necessities to the public at subsidized or fair prices.