Yogi Adityanath’s plan to distribute fortified rice
The government of Uttar Pradesh, under Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, has initiated a program to ensure the distribution of fortified rice to 15.05 crore beneficiaries covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). As part of this effort, paddy allotments are now exclusively provided to rice mills in the state that have installed blenders. In the second phase of the scheme, 64,365 ration shops in 60 districts have been selected to distribute fortified rice to 12 crores of NFSA beneficiaries, with an annual allocation of 46.10 lakh metric tonnes.
Rice is a staple food for 65 percent of the Indian population, and the country is the largest producer and consumer of rice, accounting for 22 percent of global rice production. Fortified rice is nutritionally superior to regular rice because normal rice milling and processing remove the fat and micronutrients, which are preserved in fortified rice through the blending process. Fortified rice contains essential micronutrients such as Vitamin B-1, Vitamin B-6, Vitamin E, Niacin, Iron, Zinc, Folic Acid, Vitamin B-12, and Vitamin A. It can help address various health issues, including anemia, prevalent among the population.
The distribution of fortified rice is promoted through the Rice Fortification Scheme under the NFSA. The Yogi Adityanath government of Uttar Pradesh aims to provide the benefits of fortified rice to 15.05 crore NFSA beneficiaries in the state. Already, 12 crore people are benefiting from the Rice Fortification Scheme, receiving an annual allocation of 46.10 lakh metric tonnes through 64,365 ration shops in 60 districts.
The Yogi Adityanath government of Uttar Pradesh has set a target to provide fortified rice to 3.61 crore ration cardholders through 79,365 ration shops by March 2024. The production of fortified rice will be carried out in 1,718 rice mills. The government has divided the distribution process into three phases. The first phase focused on the effective implementation of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and PM Nutrition Scheme until March 2022. The second phase concentrates on implementing the scheme in districts with high burden. The third phase aims to smoothly deliver the benefits of fortified rice to people in all districts by March 2024. The state government is committed to achieving these goals, and the allotment process has already begun in 73 districts of the state.
