India’s Modi Extends Free Foodgrain Plan for Poor Hurt by Virus
- Prime minister urges caution as virus infections surge
- India is looking at its first economic contraction in 40 years
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India extended a scheme for distribution of free food grains to the country’s poorest until the end of November to help them cope with the economic pain of the country’s long drawn virus lockdown, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.
Some 800 million of India’s poorest were provided free foodgrains for their families since April and this will continue for another five months, Modi said in a televised address to the nation Tuesday. The entire program would cost an estimated 1.5 trillion rupees ($20 billion).