SRINAGAR: As of October 2024, a total of 2.33 lakh families, comprising approximately 10.61 lakh individuals, in Jammu and Kashmir have been covered under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, the government revealed in the Lok Sabha.
The AAY aims to provide highly subsidised food grains to the poorest of poor households, as well as to beneficiaries of the Priority Households (PHH) category.
The NFSA mandates that food grains be distributed to eligible beneficiaries free of cost under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY). This has been in effect since January 1, 2023. While the ceiling for AAY families under the Act is set at 2.5 crore, around 2.37 crore AAY families have currently been covered across India by various States and Union Territories.
The inclusion of families under the AAY is based on minimum eligibility guidelines set by the government. These include families headed by a widow, an individual suffering from a terminal disease, a person with a disability, individuals aged 60 years or above, or those without an assured source of livelihood or family and social support. The identification and issuance of ration cards to these eligible households is carried out by the respective State or Union Territory governments through their own procedures and criteria.
