New Delhi: The Cabinet on Friday approved a one-year extension of the free food scheme and revised pensions for defense personnel under the First Class Pension scheme.
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said the program’s spending, at $2 trillion VND, will be paid by the Center to support more than 8 million people.
He added that Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) and the National Food Security Act have been merged. Notably, food has so far been distributed with subsidies under the national food security plan, which is due to end this month. Under this scheme, the government provides 5 kg of food per person per month for $2-3 fish/kg. In addition, families covered by Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) receive 35 kg of food per month.
Rice is distributed to the poor under the NFSA in $3 per kg and wheat at $2 per kilogram.
The Cabinet also approved an amendment to pensions for Armed Forces Pensioners and family pensioners under the First Class Pension, effective 1 July 2019.
The government added that pensions of past retirees will be adjusted on the basis of the average minimum and maximum wages of defense force retirees for 2018 at the same level. level and same length of service.
“Armed force personnel retired until June 30, 2019 (excluding early retirement on July 1, 2014) will be covered in this revision. More than 2.5 million (including over 452,000 new beneficiaries) armed forces pensioners and family pensioners will benefit.
The government said in a statement that subsidies for those with above-average amounts would be protected. Benefits will be extended to family retirees, including war widows and disabled pensioners.
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