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What has our government done to provide food security to the poor? Discuss any two schemes launched by the government?
Answer:
Answer to be written in the exam:
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The government has started a number of programs to improve public welfare and give hungry people access to food. Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Annapurna Scheme are two such programs (APS).
Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY)--
- AAY was launched in December 2000 . Under this scheme, one crore of the poorest among the BPL families covered under the targeted public distribution system was identified. Poor families were identified by the respective state rural development departments through a Below Poverty Line (BPL) survey .
- Twenty-five kilograms of foodgrains were made available to each eligible family at a highly subsidized rate of ` 2 per kg for wheat and ` 3 per kg for rice.
- This quantity has been enhanced from 25 to 35 kg with effect from April 2002.
- The scheme has been further expanded twice by an additional 50 lakh BPL families in June 2003 and in August 200 4. With this increase, 2 crore families have been covered under the AAY.
Annapurna Scheme (APS) –
- Launched in the year 2000, the scheme aims to provide food to the senior citizens who have remained uncovered under the National Old Age Pension Scheme.
- The eligibility for an applicant is that she or he should be 65 years or above in age.
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