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- Aims to make the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) more focused and targeted towards the poorest section of population.
Ministry: Food Ministry of India
About Antodaya Anna Yojana
- The first announcement of a scheme like this was done in 2000.
- Under the scheme, the central government was going to assist the poor and the needy with ration at very low prices.
- Total 35 KG of food grains per month @ fixed price of RS 2 per KG for Wheat and RS 3 Per KG for Rice. And Coarse grains at RS 1 per kg.
- The scheme was mainly for the people falling under the BPL category.
Antyodaya Anna Yojana Key Features
- Cost of food grains – Under the AAY scheme, all the identified poor families will be provided with the advantage of getting food grains at very cheap rates.
- Generating special ration cards – Once the state and the central government has finished the task of identifying all the families that fall under the AAY scheme, they will be given different ration cards. The color of the passes will be different from the normal ones.
- Endeavors of the state government – Apart from the central government, the state governments will also assist the families by providing the food grains to them at the low prices that have been set by the central authorities.
- Total amount of food grains – As the latest target is to feed a whopping 25 million poor mouths, the central government will have to keep a total of 30 lakh tons of food grains available, on a yearly basis.
Antyodaya Anna Yojana Eligibility
- All the interested candidates must have their BPL cards.
- The certificate will ensure that these families and the respective people are too poor to even arrange two square meals a day.
- All the elderly, mentally and physically disabled, widows, lactating or single mothers will also be able to apply under the scheme provided that they are able to prove that they are devoid of any other income source.
- The scheme will also provide help in acquiring food grains for the tribal families which will meet the above-mentioned requirements. The tribal families must not have any alternative source of income.
Documents required for the Yojana
- As per the guidelines of the central government, all the interested candidates who want to register for availing the benefits under the AAY scheme will have to provide the BPL certificate and the income certificate as well. The candidates will also have to provide the proof of their claims that they do not possess any other ration pass.
Priority Groups
- Landless agricultural labourers,
- Marginal farmers,
- Rural artisans/craftsmen such as potters and tanners,
- Slum dwellers,
- Persons earning their livelihood on a daily basis in the informal sector such as porters, rickshaw pullers, cobblers,
- Destitute,
- Households headed by widows or terminally ill persons, disabled persons, persons aged 60 years or more with no assured means of subsistence, and
- All primitive tribal households.
Antyodaya Anna Yojana Ration Card Color
- As per the guidelines of the AAY scheme, all the identified families will be provided with a ration card that will be different from the standard ration pass.
- The color of the AAY ration card will be green. All families, living in rural, semi-urban or urban areas will be provided with a green ration pass, if they are enlisted under this scheme.
What is Targeted PDS?
- Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) is jointly operated by Central and State Governments. The Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) came into operation in June 1997 under the Government of India with a focus on the poor.
- Under the operations of TPDS, the beneficiaries were divided into two categories:
- Households Below the poverty line (BPL)
- Households Above the poverty line (APL)
Central Government is responsible for
- Procurement of food grains
- Allocation of food grains
- Transportation of food grains to designated depots of Food Corporation of India (FCI).
State Government is responsible for
- Allocation and Distribution of foodgrains within the state.
- Identification of eligible beneficiaries.
- Issuance of ration cards
