India has been witnessing record numbers of COVID cases on a daily basis for the past two weeks, forcing several states, including Delhi and Mumbai, to impose lockdowns.
Narendra Modi’s government on Friday announced that five kilograms of free food grains will be provided to around 800 million people over the next two months.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY), a welfare scheme for the poor, the government will spend over $3.4 billion on the initiative over May and June.
The distributed grain will include wheat, rice, and lentils.
The move by India’s central government is meant to reassure migrant labourers that they’re not being neglected amid rising COVID cases across the country, as millions of people find themselves out of work due to the pandemic throttling the economy.
Despite several politicians – including Modi and Delhi chief Arvind Kejriwal…
