Panaji, Jun 30 (PTI) Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement on extending till November a free ration scheme expected to benefit 80 crore Indians.

PM Modi on Tuesday announced extension of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY), under which each beneficiary gets 5 kilograms of rice or wheat and one kilogram of preferred pulse per month free, till end of November.

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"I welcome the extension. This is a gift to 80 crore Indians. It is a step taken by the PM to reach out to the most deprived in society," Sawant told reporters.

Sawant said around four lakh people in Goa are covered under the scheme.

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