There are many government schemes to support under-privileged population. Most of them do not have any means or mode to know the ongoing schemes, If you know poor senior citizen, do lend a hand and support them to get a foothold and secure food and health. In this post, attempted to elaborate on Annapurna scheme, a government sponsored scheme for senior citizen.
The Annapurna Food Security Scheme is a government-supported program in India that provides food grains at subsidized rates to eligible senior citizens who are unable to meet their food requirements. The scheme was launched in 2000 and is implemented by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
Who can apply:
- The scheme is available to senior citizens who are aged 65 years or above and are not receiving any pension benefits.
- The applicant should belong to a household below the poverty line (BPL).
- The applicant should not be receiving any other benefits under any other government-sponsored food security scheme.
Features:
- Under the scheme, eligible beneficiaries are provided 10 kg of food grains per month at a subsidized rate of Rs. 3 per kg for rice and Rs. 2 per kg for wheat.
- The food grains are distributed through the designated Fair Price Shops (FPS).
- The beneficiaries can choose to receive either rice or wheat as per their preference.
- The scheme is implemented by the State Governments with the support of the Central Government.
- The scheme aims to ensure food security for senior citizens who are unable to meet their basic food requirements.
Exclusions:
- Senior citizens who are receiving any other pension benefits are not eligible for the Annapurna Food Security Scheme.
- Senior citizens who are already receiving benefits under any other government-sponsored food security scheme – such as the National Food Security Act (NFSA) or the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) are also not eligible for the scheme.
