Govt Provided Free Foodgrains to 80 Cr Poor People; No One Went Hungry During Pandemic: FM Sitharaman

GG News Bureau

New Delhi, 1st Feb. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Wednesday that the government ensured that no one went hungry during the pandemic by providing free foodgrains to 80 crore poor people.

In times of global challenges, she added, the G-20 presidency provides an opportunity to strengthen India’s role in the global order.

The government is implementing a scheme to supply free foodgrains to the poor under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY) with expenditure of Rs 2 lakh crore from January 1, the finance minister said.

Agriculture and allied sector growth has been buoyant over the years as a result of government measures to boost crop and livestock productivity, returns to farmers through price support, and crop diversification. In FY21, private investment in agriculture increased by 9.3 percent (7 per cent in FY20).