Foodgrains made available to states to cover migrant workers, Centre tells SC

The Union Government has told the Supreme Court that it has extended a scheme for allocating food grains for all the beneficiaries, who are not covered under National Food Security Act but to whom ration cards have been issued by the state governments under their own scheme at the rate of 5 kg per person per month, till March 31, 2022, or till further orders.

Under the liberalised open market sale scheme, food grains are to be supplied by the Food Corporation of India at flat rates of Rs 21/22 per kg for wheat/rice throughout the country.

"Though the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Scheme was valid for only May and June, 2020, however, States have been asked on May 20, this year, that they may use the various other schemes to get additional quantities of foodgrains at subsidised rates, as per the need, from the FCI, for distribution to selected target groups, including other migrants or stranded migrants, as per locally assessed requirements," the Centre has said in an affidavit.

In a Suo Motu matter related to problems and miseries of migrant labourers, the government has listed out various schemes made to provide ration to such workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

It said following the top court's order on May 24, this year, the Department of Food and Public Distribution issued a letter a day after requesting states/UTs to avail the various relaxations to obtain any additional quantity of foodgrains they may need for providing to other migrants or stranded migrants without a ration card, from the FCI, over and above the allocation under the NFSA or the Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY).

"During this year, additional foodgrains for free of cost distribution to all the NFSA beneficiaries, at the rate of 5 kg per person per month, has been allocated to all the States/UTs for two months i.e. May and June 2021. The said foodgrains have been provided in addition to regular allocation under the National Food Security Act (NFSA)," it said.

As this year, only selective, staggered, dispersed, and localised lockdowns have been imposed by authorities as per the conditions, states were asked in May to avail various schemes launched or renewed, to get additional quantities of foodgrains, as per their need, from the Food Corporation of India (FCI), for distribution to selected target groups including other migrants or stranded migrants, as per locally assessed requirements.

Last May, the Centre said it had liberally allotted about eight Lakh Metric Tonne (LMT) of additional food grain covering all the States or UTs. However, most of states or UTs had not distributed the complete allocated quantity of foodgrains. By August 31, last, a total of about 2.74 Lakh MT foodgrains were distributed to nearly 2.74 crore out of the nearly 2.8 crore migrants or stranded migrants identified by the States/UTs, under the scheme.

During the second wave of Covid-19, the Union Government has liberalised Open Market Sale Scheme (Domestic) policy for the year 2021-22 under which food-grains are to be supplied by FCI at flat rates of Rs 21/22 per kg for Wheat and Rice throughout the country, it said.