No separate database has been maintained for disabled persons under National Food Security Act (NFSA) designed to provide additional free of cost foodgrains under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY), the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has said.

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The Ministry said this while replying to a question raised in the Lok Sabha about the total number of persons with disabilities who are covered under Public Distribution System.

"To minimise the food security hardships of nearly 80 crore NFSA beneficiaries in the country during the time of Covid-19 crisis, the PM-GKAY was designed in such a manner to provide additional free of cost foodgrains at the scale of five kg per person each month to all such NFSA beneficiaries, over and above the regular foodgrain entitlements as per the Antyodaya Anna Yoiana or priority household ration card issued under the Act," the Ministry added.

It said that PM-GKAY has been extended until March 2O22 with an overall expenditure of nearly Rs 2.6 lakh crore on all phases, wherein the coverage for NFSA beneficiaries is nearly 80 crore, including disabled persons.

"However, no separate database is maintained for disabled persons," the Ministry added.

The first and second phase of this scheme were operational from April to June 2020 and July to November 2020, respectively, whereas third phase was operational from May to June 2021 and the fourth phase is currently operational for July-November 2021.

While announcing the news of extension of the scheme till March 2022, Union Minister Anurag Thakur had claimed that India is perhaps the only country in the world that provided free foodgrains for 15 months to 80 crore people.