- Title: India's Modi extends free foodgrain program for poor battling coronavirus
- Date: 30th June 2020
- Summary: NEW DELHI, INDIA (FILE - MARCH 31, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF VOLUNTEERS DISTRIBUTING COOKED RICE TO THE HOMELESS FROM A SMALL TRUCK
- Embargoed: 14th July 2020 13:11
- Keywords: India New Delhi Prime Minister Narendra Modi coronavirus food health lockdown migrant workers poor vaccine
- Location: NEW DELHI/GANDHINAGAR, GUJARAT, INDIA
- City: NEW DELHI/GANDHINAGAR, GUJARAT, INDIA
- Country: India
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA003CKKA3IN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:The Indian government will extend a free foodgrain distribution scheme for 800 million people amid the ongoing pandemic until the end of November, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a national address on Tuesday (June 30).
The 'PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana' (Poor Food Welfare Campaign) was launched earlier this year to provide free food grains to millions of migrant workers hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
Modi said the foodgrain scheme will cost the government an additional 900 billion Indian rupees ($11.91 billion), taking the total spend on the same to 1.5 trillion rupees.
Modi said thousands of lives have been saved because of the nationwide lockdowns in place since March 25 and urged citizens to continue to follow social distancing norms as the country restarts economic activity.
With 5,66,840 cases and 16,893 deaths India is one of the worst affected countries in the world. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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