Why in news:

• Haryana government under chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar has made some vital changes in the eligibility and ration distribution criteria for Below Poverty Line (BPL) families.
• Yellow ration cards will be given to about 29 lakh BPL families of the state on the New Year.

Key Points:

• Under the PM Kisan Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (Pradhanmantri Garib Kalyan Yojana), around 80 crore people are given 5 kg of food grain free of cost per month. Besides, state governments also run food schemes for various categories of card holders.
• In Haryana, there were earlier around 11.50 lakh BPL families, but this number has been revised to 28.93 lakh after change in eligibility criteria.
• The Haryana government has also raised the minimum annual family income criteria from Rs 1.20 lakh to 1.80 lakh under the BPL category. This revised income status increased the number of BPL families in the state who will be able to avail the benefits offered to the Yellow Ration Card beneficiaries.
• It is important to note here that under the Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Yojana, people get food grain, wheat in Haryana, at a price of Rs 2. Under this scheme, Antyodaya families could get 35 kg of wheat at the said rate whereas the BPL families receive up to 5 kg of wheat.
• It is worth mentioning here that during the Covid pandemic, the Centre government provided ration to families with Yellow Ration Cards. It was supposed to run until December 2022. Therefore, unless some policy changes are announced, December is the last month when people under BPL will be able to avail the benefits of the scheme.