The Union cabinet on Wednesday approved the extension of the free fortified rice scheme from July 2024 to December 2028, construction of the National Maritime Maritime Heritage Complex at Lothal in Gujarat and construction of 2,280km roads in border areas of Rajasthan and Punjab.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, which was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union minister for information and broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the fortified rice scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) will be implemented at a total projected cost of ₹17,082 crore.
“The initiative will remain a central sector scheme, fully funded by the government of India under PMGKAY’s food subsidy programme,” Vaishnaw added.
The extension aligns with the government’s Anaemia Mukt Bharat plan that aims to combat anaemia and micronutrient deficiencies across India.
The supply of fortified rice will be extended through the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), the Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS), and the PM POSHAN scheme (formerly mid-day meal) in all states and union territories.
In April 2022, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the implementation of the rice fortification scheme across India in phases. All three phases have been completed, with fortified rice available through all its schemes as of March 2024, the government said.
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