The correct answer is Senior citizens who are not under National Old Age Pension Scheme. Explanation & Key Takeaways: • Annapurna Scheme was launched in the year 2000 with effect from 1st April by the Ministry of Rural Development. • It is a Central Sector Scheme. It is one of the sub-schemes of the National Assistance Program. • The main aim of this scheme is to fulfil the requirement of senior citizens by providing food security. • Senior citizens above the age of 65 are eligible for old-age pension under the National Old Age Pension Scheme (NOAPS). • Citizens who are eligible for the National Old Age Pension will be given 10 kg of food grains free of cost every month. Annapurna Scheme: Salient Features • It is a social sector scheme. • It is a part of the National Social Assistance Programme. • This scheme is given to indigent senior citizens. • The main aim of this scheme is to provide food assistance. • This food assistance is provided to those senior citizens who are eligible but not included in the National Old age Pension scheme. • Funds for this scheme are released to the State Departments of Food and Civil Supplies in a single instalment. • The state government has a tie-up with the Food Corporation of India to release the food grains district wise directly to the regional offices of the FCI. • Based on the ground situation, the state government distributes the allocation between the districts. • The Ministry of Finance as Additional Central Assistance (ACA) releases the funds of the transferred scheme to the State Plan. • States have flexibility in the choice of beneficiaries and implementation. • The food grains are released to the State Governments on the existing norms at the BPL rates. Annapurna Scheme: Beneficiaries • Beneficiaries who are eligible for this scheme should be 65 years or above. • Through this scheme, 20% of the people who are eligible to receive a pension under the NOAPS scheme in State/ Union Territories will receive free of cost food grains per month.