A total quantity of 17.59 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) of fortified rice was procured by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) during Kharif Monsoon Season (KMS) 2021-22 in Andhra Pradesh. Out of this, the FCI has dispatched about 5 LMT of fortified rice to consuming States like Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka by December 2022. The procurement includes 6.52 LMT through FCI and 11.07 LMT through the State Civil Supplies Corporation (CSC).
A quantity of 6.15 LMT fortified rice has been distributed in high burden and aspirational districts under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) as well as PM Poshan and Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) schemes in Andhra Pradesh, Chandra Shekhar Joshi, General Manager, Andhra Pradesh Region, FCI, told The Hindu.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day address in 2021 said fortified rice would be supplied through the government schemes to ensure nutrition. Accordingly, the Centre approved the supply of fortified rice through the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) under the NFSA and ICDS, PM POSHAN and other schemes in all States and Union Territories (UTs) in a phased manner.
Mr. Joshi said under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana about 30.08 LMT foodgrains were issued to beneficiaries in the Andhra Pradesh region through the FCI.
Under multi-modal transport, 41,320 MT of foodgrains were moved to Kerala through the riverine movement, during 2021-22.
A quantity of 32,642 MT and 23,234 MT of foodgrains were despatched to Andaman & Nicobar Islands through coastal movement during 2020-21 and 2021-22 respectively.
He said, “To ameliorate the hardships faced by the poor due to economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and to minimise the impact of the pandemic on food security, the Government in March 2020 had announced the distribution of additional foodgrains (rice/wheat) free of cost to about 80 crore population under the NFSA {Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Households (PHH)} at the rate of 5 kg per person per month under the PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY). So far, under the scheme, the department had an offtake of about 30.08 LMT of foodgrains from the A.P. Region. Currently, Phase VII (October-December 2022) of PMGKAY is operational in all States and Union Territories.
