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Biggest operation to distribute pulses to 20 crore households during lockdown underway

The massive operation is being carried out to distribute one kg of pulses to about 20 crore households for three months in the country.

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(Source: Reuters)
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As the country remains under lockdown for more than a month, the government has announced that the biggest operation of distribution of pulses under the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) is underway. The massive operation is being carried out to distribute one kg of pulses to about 20 crore households for three months in the country.

According to a press release by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, the Central government had decided to provide one kg of milled and cleaned pulses to each NFSA household for three months under the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY).

Executed by NAFED under the guidance of the Department of consumer affairs of the Central government, this operation entails lifting of un-milled pulses from the godowns of Central/State warehousing corporations, getting the pulses milled or cleaned as per quality standards prescribed by FSSAI and then reaching the milled pulses to the States. Thereafter, the milled pulses are carried to state government godowns and then to PDS shops for distribution, the release said.

"The scale of this operation is massive and far more complex than food grain movement. Each kg of pulse goes through at least three (in many cases four) trips by truck and as many cycles of loading and unloading. While for long distances, transport is being done through goods train, in most cases transportation is by road through trucks. About 8.5 lakh MT of un-milled pulses will be moved in this process to distribute about 5.88LMT milled / cleaned pulses to citizens. Government has allowed use of its stocks lying in about 165 NAFED godowns across the country for this scheme. Over 100 dal mills across the country have been pressed into service by NAFED so far," the ministry said.

The states and union territories have taken one-third of the monthly requirement to final destinations for distribution. 17 states and UTs have begun the distribution, the government informed.

"As on date, about 30,000 MT of pluses have been distributed, but this would speed up in the first week of May. Many states / UTs, particularly the smaller ones such as Andamans, Chandigarh, Dadra Nagar Haveli, Goa, Ladakh, Puducherry, Lakshadweep and even Punjab have been provided milled/cleaned pulses for all three months in one go," the release stated.

This is the first time that the department of consumer affairs is carrying such a massive operation of pulses.

The operation would involve about two lakh truck trips and loading and unloading operation over a period of 4 weeks. It is very challenging during lockdown with many of the dal mills and godowns located in the hotspot areas. In such areas, the availability of trucks and labour for loading and unloading has also been a huge problem.

Most of the beneficiaries will receive the quota for the first month within April or latest by the first week of May. 

Preparedness of the States and UTs was reviewed by Secretary, consumer affairs on 24 April 2020.

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