New Delhi: The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved continuation of the universal supply of Fortified Rice under all government schemes including Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) in its present form from July 2024 and upto December 2028.
Briefing reporters about the cabinet decisions, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the rice fortification initiative will continue as a central sector initiative with 100 per cent funding by the Centre as part of PMGKAY (Food Subsidy), providing a unified institutional mechanism for implementation.
The initiative "Supply of fortified rice throughout the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), Other Welfare Schemes, Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS), PM POSHAN (Erstwhile MDM) in all States and Union Territories (UTs)" was taken up to address anaemia and micronutrients deficiency in the country in line with PM Modi's thrust on the necessity of nutritional security in the country.
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), 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.
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