A total of 90 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of the 175 LMT fortified rice required this year has already been produced for distribution so far under the rice-fortification programme, said Sudhanshu Pandey, Union Food Secretary.
Pandey said that the government is planning to cover 291 districts by March 2023 aspirational and heavy burden districts under the rice fortification programme.
Phase II of the programme which includes phase I plus a targeted public distribution system and other welfare schemes in all Aspirational and high burden districts, a total of 291 districts, will be covered by March 2023, he said.
The secretary informed that under phase I covered integrated child development services and PM POSHAN in India all over by March 2022 and nearly 17 LMT of fortified rice was distributed. However, Under PDS, more than 90 districts (in 16 states) have started lifting of fortified rice and around 2.58 LMT have been distributed so far.
Pandey also said that independent concurrent evaluation would be carried out by the Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO) under NITI Aayog of the rice fortification to assess the outcomes and impact of the programme. He added that the steering committee in the states will monitor the implementation of the programme.
The FCI and state agencies are engaged in the procurement of fortified rice and so far, nearly 126.25 LMT of fortified rice has been procured for the supply and distribution. The entire cost of rice fortification (around Rs 2,700 crore per annum) would be only borne by the government as part of food subsidy till its full implementation up to June 2024, said the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
