The Union Cabinet on Friday approved a scheme to distribute fortified rice under Government programmes in three phases. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur informed that in the first phase, fortified rice is being distributed under Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and PM Poshan programmes. Food Corporation of India and state agencies have already procured 88.65 LMT of fortified rice for supply and distribution. Fortification is a process through which essential micronutrients in food are added to boost nutritional quality that helps improve public health.
Thakur said the second phase will cover targeted public distribution system (TPDS) and other welfare schemes in all aspirational and high-burden stunting districts by March 2023. In the final phase, all remaining districts will be covered by March 2024. The entire cost of rice fortification of about Rs 2,700 crore per annum and would be borne by the central government.
During his Independence Day speech last year on August 15, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced a plan to distribute fortified rice to the poor by 2024 under different schemes, including through Public Distribution Systems According to FSSAI norms, 1 kg fortified rice will contain iron (28 mg-42.5 mg), folic acid (75-125 microgram) and Vitamin B-12 (0.75-1.25 microgram).
In addition, rice may also be fortified with micronutrients, singly or in combination, with zinc(10 mg-15 mg), Vitamin A (500-750 microgram RE), Vitamin B1 (1 mg-1.5 mg), Vitamin B2 (1.25 mg-1.75 mg), Vitamin B3 (12.5 mg-20 mg) and Vitamin B6 (1.5 mg-2.5 mg) per kg. (PDS) and Mid-Day Meals.
The government distributes over 300 lakh tonnes of rice under various schemes covered under the National Food Security Act, 2013. For 2021-22, the Centre has allocated 328 lakh tonnes of rice under NFSA for schemes such as the Targeted PDS, MDM and Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS).
In 2019-20, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution launched a centrally sponsored pilot scheme on ‘Fortification of Rice and its Distribution under PDS’ for a period of three years with a total budget outlay of Rs 174.64 crore.
The pilot scheme focuses on 15 districts in 15 states – Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh.
According to the ministry, six states, including Maharashtra and Gujarat, have started distributing fortified rice as part of the pilot scheme, with approximately 2.03 LMT of fortified rice being distributed till June 2021. Four more states are expected to start by September 2021.