Last Updated on July 15, 2026 12:12 am by INDIAN AWAAZ
Staff Reporter
The Centre has circulated the draft National Food Security (Amendment) Bill, 2026, proposing a major restructuring of benefits under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) that is expected to significantly reduce the food subsidy burden while protecting larger poor households.
The proposed amendment replaces the existing provision of a uniform 35 kg of foodgrains per AAY household per month with an entitlement of 7 kg of foodgrains per eligible person per month, subject to a maximum ceiling of 35 kg per household. This means households with five or more members will continue to receive 35 kg, while smaller families will receive foodgrains in proportion to their size.
The amendment to Section 3 of the National Food Security Act, 2013, states that every person belonging to an AAY household will be entitled to 7 kg of foodgrains per month at subsidised prices specified in Schedule I. It also retains a safeguard that no AAY household will receive more than 35 kg per month.
Government estimates indicate that the proposed changes could save around ₹13590 crore annually from the ₹2.27 lakh crore food subsidy allocation under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) in the current financial year. Officials said the move is aimed at aligning foodgrain allocations more closely with actual household size, reducing excess allocation to smaller families while maintaining support for larger and more vulnerable households.
The draft Bill has been circulated for inter-ministerial consultations and stakeholder comments before being introduced in Parliament.