On September 28, 2022(Wednesday) Union Minister and Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur officially announced the Centre’s decision to extend the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana by three months.

The scheme first started in April of 2020 was introduced to provide necessary rations to people whose livelihood was gravely affected by the Corona virus pandemic and in turn the nationwide lockdown, giving away 5kgs of rice and wheat free of cost to those eligible for the scheme.  The scheme was welcomed and did in fact help a gigantian number of 80 Crore people in need. The scheme that’d have been finally put to a close this Friday will now run through December 31, 2022. The motive behind for the extension as shared by Union Minister Anurag Thakur is to ease the financial strain the inflation rates have brought in and the burden it will have on those 80 Crore people and more who have just started to get back their life on track, some still lacking the means to provide for their family and themselves.

While the move is certainly a welcomed decision it couldn’t avoid controversy as certain sources have cited the real motive behind the decision by the Centre is to gather extra support and mass favour ahead of the Gujarat Assembly polls to be held in December.