In a significant decision, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday formally approved lowering the permissible content of broken rice supplied through ration shops under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) for the first time in more than three decades.
The permissible limit has been reduced from 25 per cent to 10 per cent for raw rice and from 16 per cent to 5 per cent for parboiled rice.
The move will not only ensure that more than 80 crore public distribution system (PDS) beneficiaries receive better quality rice through their monthly entitlement, but will also free up an estimated 8-9 million tonnes of surplus broken rice for ethanol production, officials said.
Union Food Minister Prahlad Joshi, in a late-night post on social media platform X, said the estimated savings from reduced logistics and storage costs would be around ₹2,161 crore.
The Centre distributes 5 kg of rice or wheat free of cost every month to more than 80 crore beneficiaries under the PMGKAY.
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