Prime Minister Shri.  NarendraModi had announced September month as PoshanMaah- Nutrition Month to create awareness about nutrition. Identifying severely acute malnourished children and setting up of home garden to grow nutritious plants are being encouraged during the month. Fortified rice blended with vitamins and iron will ensure nutrition for beneficiariesalongwith staple food rice.

Fortified rice scheme is being implemented in Tiruchirapalli from October 1 for all ration card holders in the district. Department of Food & Public Distribution under Union Government had started the centrally sponsored pilot scheme on fortification of Rice and its Distribution under Public Distribution System (PDS) for a period of three years beginning 2019-20 with a total budget outlay of Rs.174.64 Crore. The Pilot Scheme is funded by Government of India in the ratio of 90:10 in respect of North Eastern, Hilly and Island States and 75:25 in respect of the rest of the States. The fortified rice scheme focuses on 15 districts, preferably one district per State. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister had announced Tiruchirapalli as the selected district for distribution of fortified rice in the state.

Under the scheme fortified rice will be given to ration card holders after blending the rice milling stage. The operational responsibilities and identification of the districts for implementation of the Pilot Scheme lie with the States. As per records,  15 States, including Tamil Nadu  Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Telangana, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh have agreed for implementation of the fortified rice Pilot Scheme. Maharashtra and Gujarat have already started distribution of fortified rice under PDS in the Pilot Scheme from February, 2020. The Government of India has included staple food fortification (including rice fortification) under the National Nutrition Mission (PoshanAbhiyan) as a complementary intervention to reduce prevalence of anaemia and under-nutrition in India.

Rice is fortified with iron, folic acid and Vitamin B 12 to make it nutritious and will be distributed through 1224 ration shops in Trichy district. Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC) in Trichy has started moving 12,000 tonnes of rice added with the micronutrients to ration shops. About 7.5 lakh card holders in Trichy district will benefit under this pilot scheme of supplying fortified rice. For rice fortification, the ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution has allocated Rs 10 crore for three years. The amount includes the cost for supplying fortified rice kernel, blending, and transportation.

Covid 19 pandemic has reiterated the importance of self immunity and nutrition. No wonder Government is implementing fortified rice scheme through ration shops to ensure nutritious food is given especially to women and children.

Trichy Ariyamangalam coop credit society shop

Fortified rice

 

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