Delhi govt to extend free ration supply until May 31, 2022: Kejriwal

New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said the Delhi government has decided to extend the distribution of free ration in the city for six months till May 31, 2022.

The decision was taken in a Cabinet meeting on Monday.

"We have started distributing free ration ever since the outbreak of coronavirus. The time period of this scheme has ended, so this is being extended by six months. The Cabinet today decided that free ration distribution will continue till May 31 next year, Kejriwal said in a virtual press conference.

The scheme ended on November 30.

The Delhi government distributes free ration to beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, and the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY).

The city has over 2,000 fair price shops, 17.77 lakh ration card holders and around 72.78 lakh beneficiaries.

Free ration is given over and above subsidised grains distributed to them through ration shops.

The PMGKAY was launched in March last year to ameliorate distress caused by COVID-19. Initially, the scheme was launched for April-June last year, but was later extended to November 30.

In November this year, Union Food Secretary Sudhanshu Pandey had said that the Centre had no proposal to extend distribution of free ration through the PMGKAY beyond November 30.

Then too, Kejriwal had said that the free ration distribution would be continued in Delhi by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government till May 31, 2022.

The Delhi chief minister had also written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to extend the free ration distribution scheme to benefit the poor.