Hubballi, Oct 11 (IANS): Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi said on Friday that one per cent of nutritional supplements will be added to the rice provided by the Centre in an initiative aimed at protecting the poorest sections of society from anaemia.

Speaking to the media in Hubballi, Union Minister Joshi stated, “Steps are taken for the distribution of fortified rice for over five years for Rs 18,000 crore. The rice distributed by the Central government will now include one per cent of nutritional fortification.”

Union Minister Joshi stated that the Centre has taken steps to prepare and distribute the fortified rice. He said that under the 'Garib Kalyan' and 'Antyodaya Anna Yojana', the rice distributed will now be fortified with one per cent additional nutrients.

To combat anaemia, the Central government has initiated the distribution of nutritious, fortified rice and has approved the plan for a 5-year distribution of this fortified rice, he underlined.

Under the 'Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana', every individual receives five kilos of rice per month, and under the 'Antyodaya Anna Yojana', each family is given 35 kilos of food grains. This will now be distributed as fortified rice with the addition of one per cent nutrients, Joshi stated.

Union Minister Joshi criticised the Siddaramaiah government in Karnataka by stating that while the state has announced the “Anna Bhagya” scheme, it is merely distributing the five kilos of rice provided by the Central government, without any additional contributions.

On Wednesday, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the continuation of the free universal supply of fortified rice under all schemes of the government, including the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) and other welfare schemes from July 2024 and up to December 2028. According to the Cabinet, the rice fortification initiative will continue as a Central sector initiative with 100 per cent funding by the government as part of PMGKAY (food subsidy), thus providing a unified institutional mechanism for implementation.

To address anaemia and micronutrient malnutrition in the vulnerable population, food fortification has been used globally as a safe and effective measure.