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A total of 269 districts in 27 states have started distributing fortified rice under the Targeted Public Distribution System, achieving a 100 per cent target set for second phase by March 2023 in the rice fortification programme, Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra said on Thursday.

Addressing a press conference, Chopra said that about 105 lakh metric tonnes of fortified rice was lifted in the second phase, which focussed on 27 states for PDS rice distribution.

In addition to this, about 29 lakh metric tonnes was lifted by states, as well as for the integrated child development service (ICDS) and PM POSHAN programme in the second phase, thus taking the total quantity of fortified rice lifted in 2022-23 to 134 lakh metric tonnes, he said.

Now, under the third phase, the department is geared up to complete the coverage of all remaining districts excluding wheat-consuming ones before the targeted date of March 2024, Chopra said.

The first phase had covered ICDS and PM POSHAN. It was implemented during 2021-22 and nearly 17.51 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) had been distributed in the states.

Consequent to the announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address on the 75th Independence Day (August 25, 2021) for supplying fortified rice in every social safety net scheme of the government throughout the country by 2024 in a phased manner, steady progress has been made during the last two years.

Meanwhile, the number of rice mills having blending infrastructure has increased from 2,690 to 18,227 from August 2021 to March 2023 with more than 11 times increase in cumulative blending capacity from 13.67 LMT to 156 LMT.