The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has accorded its approval for the supply of fortified rice throughout the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM-POSHAN [erstwhile Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDM)] and Other Welfare Schemes (OWS) of Government of India in all States and Union Territories (UTs) by 2024 in a phased manner.
The entire cost of rice fortification will be around Rs 2,700 crore per annum. This would be borne by the Government of India as part of the food subsidy till its full implementation up to June 2024. The decision was made in a Cabinet meeting on April 8.
The CCEA press release said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made an announcement on the fortification of rice in his 2021 Independence Day address so as to provide nutrition to every poor person in the country to overcome malnutrition and lack of essential nutrients in women, children, lactating mothers etc. as it poses major obstacles in their development.
The Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state agencies are already engaged in the procurement of fortified rice. So far, nearly 88.65 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of fortified rice has been procured for supply and distribution.
Essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals are added to fortify the rice. However, the effects of fortification may not last beyond 45-odd days. Hence fortified rice, which may be a good means of addressing malnutrition, should not be stocked for a longer duration.
Three phases have been envisaged for the full implementation of the initiative. Phase One was supposed to cover ICDS and PM POSHAN in India all over by March 2022. Phase Two will cover TPDS and OWS in all Aspirational and High Burden Districts on stunting (a total of 291 districts) by March 2023. The remaining districts of the country will be covered by March 2024 in Phase Three.
Earlier, the Centrally Sponsored Pilot Scheme on "Fortification of Rice and its Distribution under Public Distribution System" was implemented for a period of three years beginning from 2019-20. Eleven states — Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand — successfully distributed the fortified rice in their identified districts (one district per State) under the pilot scheme.