Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has expressed its concern over the Centre’s decision to discontinue the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY). It has urged to restart the program for the benefit of poor and farmers.
During a press conference, BJD’s Senior Vice President Debi Prasad Mishra highlighted that the PMGKAY was started to enhance household food security for the poor, and the discontinuation of the program will have a negative impact on the livelihood of both the poor and the farmers.
Mishra pointed out that food subsidies have decreased by Rs 71,000 crores due to the discontinuation of the PMGKAY and food grain procurement has also decreased by Rs 20,000 crores. He added that the poor have already suffered financially during the Covid-19 pandemic and the discontinuation of the PMGKAY will further worsen their situation.
Mishra appealed to the Centre to restart the PMGKAY program, emphasizing the need for the BJP MPs to speak up and raise the matter. He criticized the Centre for discontinuing the program without providing an alternate program or mitigating its financial impact on the poor.
