Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his 5 pm address to the nation said PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana will be extended till Diwali this year in order to provide foodgrains to the poor. 

“Till November, 80 crore Indians will get a certain quantity of foodgrains per month,” Modi said. The decision has been taken so that poor people do not go hungry, he added. 

As part of the scheme, 5 kg free rice or wheat are provided to each member of the family, along with providing 1 kg pulses per month.

The government announced a similar measure last year and claimed a total of Rs 1.5 lakh crore were set aside for the scheme.

The scheme restarted in April this year was announced for the months of May and June at an estimated expenditure of Rs 26,000 crore. The initiative will now continue till November to people in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Speaking about the pandemic, Modi said new health infrastructure was developed in the 1.5 years with COVID hospitals, ventilators beds, to preparing a network of testing labs.

“In the last one year, India launched two made-in-India vaccines. Today more than 23 crore vaccine doses administered,” he added.

“There is very less number of vaccine manufacturers in world compared to its demand. Imagine what would have happened in India if we didn’t have vaccines. If you look at history of the last 50-60 yrs, you will know that it used to take decades for India to get vaccines from abroad,” the prime minister further said

Modi claimed that vaccine supply will be increasing in the coming days. Seven companies in the country are producing different vaccines, three vaccine trials at an advanced stage, he added. 

“To increase vaccine availability, the process of procuring vaccines from abroad has been sped up. Experts have also expressed concerns about children. In this direction, the trial of two vaccines is underway. Research is being conducted for a nasal vaccine in the country,” he further said.