In good news for Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) beneficiaries, the Centre has decided to provide one kg sugar per month to these families. For the same purpose, the government will reimburse subsidy at Rs 18.50 per kg to the participating states, said the Department of Food & Public Distribution, Ministry of CA, F & PD, Government of India on Thursday. As per the department as many as 23 states have agreed to participate in this scheme.  

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"To provide a source of energy to the poorest of poor, the AAY families are provided one kg of sugar per family per month for which the Central Government is reimbursing subsidy @ Rs. 18.50 per kg to the participating States. At present 23 states are participating in this scheme," said the department. 

The Department of Food & Public Distribution also informed that the government has released Rs 203 crore for sugar subsidy in 2020-21. "During the FY 2020-21 #Government of India has released Rs. 203 crore for sugar subsidy. In the first quarter of this year 2021-22, #Government of #India has released Rs. 76 crore to different states under this scheme," tweeted the food and public distribution department.  

Antyodaya Anna Yojana 

AAY was a step in the direction of making Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) aim at reducing hunger among the poorest segments of the BPL population. In order to make TPDS more focused and targeted towards this category of population, the "Antyodaya Anna Yojana” (AAY) was launched in December, 2000 for one crore poorest of the poor families.   

AAY involved identification of one crore poorest of the poor families from amongst the number of BPL families covered under TPDS within the States and providing them food grains at a highly subsidized rate of Rs.2/- per kg. for wheat and Rs.3/- per kg for rice. The States/UTs were required to bear the distribution cost, including margin to dealers and retailers as well as the transportation cost. Thus the entire food subsidy was passed on to the consumers under the scheme.  The scale of issue that was initially 25 kg per family per month was increased to 35 kg per family per month with effect from 1st April 2002. Sugar subsidy also is part of the same scheme.