Parliament Question: Supply of Fortified Rice under PMGKAY and other Welfare Schemes

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5365 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25TH MARCH, 2026 SUPPLY OF FORTIFIED RICE UNDER PM(,KAY AND OTHER WELFARE SCHEMES 5365. SHRI ARVIND DHARMAPURI: Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state: (a): whether the Government has temporarily discontinued or paused the supply of Fortified Rice Kernels (FRKs) under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana and other welfare schemes of the Government; (b): if so, the reasons for the temporary discontinuation or pause in the supply of fortified rice under these schemes; (c) : whether the Government has undertaken any review or assessment regarding the implementation, quality standards or supply chain of fortified rice during this period; (d) : whether the Government proposes to resume the distribution of fortified rice under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana and other welfare schemes and if so, the expected timeline for its resumption; and (e) : whether the Government maintains details regarding the number of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) compliant against Fortified Rice Kernel (FRK) manufacturing units in the country and if so, the details thereof, State-wise? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRIMATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI BAMBHANIYA) (a) to (c): Yes Sir, a study was assigned by the Government to IIT Kharagpur to assess the shelf life of Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK) and Fortified Rice (FR) under actual storage conditions in diverse agro climatic zones in the country. The report concludes that factors such as moisture content, storage conditions, temperature, relative humidity and packaging material critically influence the stability and shelf life of Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK) and Fortified Rice (FR). They are susceptible to micronutrient reduction and shortening of shelf life during prolonged storage and routine handling. This reduction is rendering the effective shelf life shorter than expected and, in turn, limiting the intended nutritional outcomes. Considering procurement volumes and annual offtake, rice remains in storage for two to three years.The Government has reviewed the implementation of rice fortification under the Pradhan Mantri Garib KaIyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) and other welfare schemes of the Government of India. Based on this review, it has been decided to temporarily discontinue the procurement of fortified rice under PMGKAY and Other Welfare Schemes. This does not entail any reduction in foodgrains entitlements and will not affect operations under the PDS, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), or Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) Scheme. (d): No Sir, as of now, no such proposal is under consideration. (e): No Sir, the Department of Food and Public Distribution does not maintain such details. ]eSc gcSeScSc