Cabinet Meeting: Government Approves Rs 17,082 Crore For Fortified Rice Distribution Under Welfare Schemes

The Union Cabinet has allocated Rs 17,082 crore for continued supply of fortified rice under all government schemes, including the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana. This will apply from July 2024 to December 2028.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Wednesday that the rice fortification initiative will continue as a central sector initiative with 100% funding by the Government of India as part of PMGKAY. This will provide a unified institutional mechanism for implementation, he said.

Food fortification has been used globally as a safe and effective measure to address anaemia and micronutrient malnutrition in the vulnerable population. Rice is an ideal vehicle for supplying micronutrients in the Indian context, as 65% of India's population consumes rice as a staple food.

Rice fortification involves the addition of fortified rice kernels enriched with micronutrients (iron, folic acid, vitamin B12) as per standards prescribed by FSSAI to regular rice (custom milled rice).

The government launched the 'Supply of Fortified Rice' initiative to combat anaemia and micronutrient deficiencies by distributing fortified rice through the Targeted Public Distribution System, according to a release by the Press Information Bureau. Other such initiatives include the Integrated Child Development Service and PM POSHAN.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs in April 2022 decided to implement the rice fortification initiative throughout the country in a phased manner by March 2024. All three phases have been successfully completed and the target of universal coverage to supply fortified rice in all schemes of the government was achieved by March 2024.

According to the National Family Health Survey conducted between 2019 and 2021, anaemia was still a widespread health condition in India, affecting children, women, and men across various age groups and income levels.