NEW DELHI: President Ram Nath Kovind said on Monday that during the pandemic-induced lockdown, no one went hungry since the government provided free rations to 80 million people for 19 months.

"Several countries experienced food shortages during the corona pandemic, but my compassionate government guaranteed that no one went hungry. For 19 months, the Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Anna Yojana offered free food to 80 million needy Indians "In his Presidential address on the opening day of the Budget Session 2022, Kovind said.

"We have extended this, the world's largest free food distribution programme, until March 2022. For this, we paid Rs 2.60 lakh crore "he stated

Despite the pandemic, the President praised farmers, particularly the 80 million small landholder farmers who helped grow over 30 crore tonnes of food grains and over 33 crore tonnes of horticulture. He also stated that his government continued to assist farmers by purchasing Kharif and Rabi crops at a minimum support price (MSP).

"Soch nayi ho to purane sansadhano se bhi naye raste banaye jaa sakte hai,"  (If we think in an innovative manner, we can work wonders even with old resources) he added. The President also praised the administration's, doctors', scientists', health workers', and even citizens' efforts to combat the Covid pandemic, which he said reflected democracy's united might.

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