Govt to give monthly cash subsidy to 2 lakh families

The Delhi government will launch a food security programme on Gandhi Jayanti under which a monthly cash subsidy of R600 will be given to 2 lakh households that are not covered by either BPL or Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) scheme.

The Delhi government will launch a food security programme on Gandhi Jayanti under which a monthly cash subsidy of R600 will be given to 2 lakh households that are not covered by either BPL or Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) scheme.

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The details of the ambitious Dilli Annashree Yojana were finalised last month. “We will launch the Delhi Annashree Yojana scheme on Gandhi Jayanti, October 2. The scheme will cover those families that are not currently covered under any public distribution system (PDS),” said chief minister, Sheila Dikshit, after laying down the foundation stone of a community centre in Kishangarh.

The chief minister said the scheme would go a long way in making Delhi hunger-free.

“An amount of Rs 600 per month will be transferred directly into the bank account of the senior-most female member of the household to enable her to purchase her groceries,” Dikshit added.

The government will dedicate around Rs 150 crore in the current fiscal to this scheme.

“They might be given a choice to continue to avail benefit of the PDS scheme or opt for cash assistance of Rs 1,000 per month,” Dikshit said.

The government has been favouring cash transfer to beneficiaries instead of subsidised food grains.