Exempt ration shops from lockdown, allow them to open: Centre to states

Hyderabad: In view of the ongoing lockdown in some states and Union Territories, the Centre issued an advisory on 15 May asking the states and UTs to exempt fair price shops and allow them to open preferably on all days of the month.

The advisory issued by the department of food and public distribution also said PMGKAY III and NFSA foodgrains should be distributed to beneficiaries in a staggered manner throughout the day to allow for proper social distancing and adherence to COVID-19 protocols at fair price shops.

All states and UTs have also been requested to take necessary steps to ensure timely distribution of foodgrains at their FPSs without causing hardships to the beneficiaries and to give wide publicity to the measures undertaken in this regard.

Distribution under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY III) for two months (May and June 2021) has already started. Under the scheme, an additional quota of free food grains (rice/wheat) at a scale of 5 kg per person per month, over and above their regular monthly NFSA, will be provided to over 80 crore beneficiaries covered under both categories of NFSA, namely Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Householders (PHH).