Lok Sabha Question No. 5996 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-04-01
Subject: Fortified Rice
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Shri Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri, Dr. K Sudhakar, Shri Dhairyasheel Sambhajirao Mane, Shri Madhavaneni Raghunandan Rao, Dr. Hemant Vishnu Savara, Shri Chavda Vinod Lakhamshi, Shri Sudheer Gupta, Shri Sunil Kumar, Smt. Sanjna Jatav, Shri Chavan Ravindra Vasantrao, Smt. Aparajita Sarangi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK  SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5996

TO BE ANSWERED ON IsT APRIL, 2026

## FORTIFIED RICE

t5996. SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

SHRI CHAVAN RAVINDRA VASANTRAO:

SMT. SANJNA JATAV:

SHRI VISHWESHWAR HEGDE KAGERI:

SHRI SUNIL KUMAR:

SHRI CHAVDA VINOD LAKHAMSrii:

SHRI DHAIRYASHEEL SAMBHAJIRAO MANE:

DR. K SUDHAKAR:

DR. HEMANT VISHNU SAVARA:

SHRI MADHAVANENI RAGHUNAND AN RAO:

SMT. APARAJITA SARANGI:

Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state:

- (a): the quantity of fortified  rice distributed under various Government  schemes since the implementation of the fortified  rice distribution programme  across the country, State/UT-wise particularly in Bharatpur Lok Sabha Constituency in Rajasthan and Palghar district in Maharashtra;
- (b): the number of rice mills producing Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK) in the country along with the installed production capacity thereof;
- (c): the details of the funds allocated, released and utilised for the implementation of the said programme during the last three years, year-wise;
- (d): the number of fortified  rice samples tested to ensure quality compliance during the last three years;
- (e): the number of cases of irregularities in compliance reported during the said period; and
- (f): whether any special initiative  have been initiated by the Government  for tribal district of the country like Palghar in Maharashtra  for fortified rice distribution under Government schemes and if so, the details thereon

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF STATE FOR MINISTRY  OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

(SHRIMATI  NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI  BAMBHANIYA)

- (a): The fortified  rice is  being distributed in  Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), Integrated Child  Development Services (ICDS),  Pradhan Mantri  Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) and Other Welfare Schemes (OWS) of Government of India since March, 2024 except for  the PMGKAY in wheat consuming states i.e. Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan and 100% Direct  Benefit  Transfer (DBT)  UTs  i.e. Chandigarh  and Puducherry.

A statement showing quantity  of fortified rice lifted/distributed under  various Government's food  safety-net programmes  since the  implementation of  the  initiative  is  at Annexure.

- (b): As on 24.03.2026, there are 741 Fortified  Rice Kernels manufacturing  units licensed under FSSAI. However, information  related to production capacity specifically  for  Fortified  Rice Kernels (FRK) is not maintained by the Government of India.
- (c): For the implementation of  Rice Fortification  Initiative, the Government  of  India has allocated Rs.1323.38  Cr. for F. Y.  2022-23, Rs. 2679.47 Cr. for F. Y. 2023-24 and then extended the initiative  at an annual financial  implication  of  Rs.3796 Cr.

Food subsidy is released for distribution offoodgrains (Wheat, Rice and Coarse grains), no commodity  wise food subsidy release  is maintained by Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD). The total food subsidy released for distribution of foodgrains (including fortified  rice) during the last three years is as under:

| Financial Year   |   Amount (in Rs. Crore) |
|------------------|-------------------------|
| 2022-23          |                  272502 |
| 2023-24          |                  211394 |
| 2024-25          |                  199500 |

- (d) &  (e): in order to ensure the quality  of fortified  rice, each lot of fortified rice is being accepted only after quantitative analysis. All  physical  parameters including the blending ratio of (FRK)  are thoroughly checked.

In addition to above, the number of fortified  rice samples tested by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of  India  (FSSAI)  during  the last 3 years are tabulated as under:

| Financial Year   | No. of samples tested   |    |
|------------------|-------------------------|----|
| ,025-26          | Fm                      |    |
| ,024-25          | B2                      | B5 |
| 2023-24          | .9                      | B4 |

- (f): The  Government  of  India is  supplying fortified rice  through all  the  food safety-net programmes across all States and Union Territories  (UTs) including tribal districts except Wheat consuming  States and 100% Direct  Benefit  Transfer UTs.

+ + +:+cic

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY TO  PART (a)  OF  THE  UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5996 TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.04.2026 IN THE LOK SABHA.

Statement showing quantity of  fortified  rice lifted/distributed under various  Government's food safety-net programmes since the implementation  of the initiative

[

| Sr. No.   | 1 Name of State/UT   | Total fortified rice lifted/distributed (in MTs)   |
|-----------|----------------------|----------------------------------------------------|
| s         |                      | 11616.01                                           |
|           | Andhra Pradesh       | 5455891.71                                         |
| 3         | Arunachal Pradesh    | 178503.19                                          |
| 4         | Assam                | 4515367.33                                         |
| 5         | Bihar                | 13519162.49                                        |
| 6         | Chandigarh           | 6710.70                                            |
|           | Chhatisgarh          | 4610226.52                                         |
| 8         | DD & DNH             | 71655.29                                           |
| 9         | Delhi                | 642656.99                                          |
| Hl=       | Goa                  | 90584.82                                           |
| 11        | Guiarat              | 3657708.79                                         |
| 12        | H La                 | 113893.12                                          |
| 13        | r                    | 293250.25                                          |
| 14        | J& K                 | 932943.59                                          |
| 15        | Jharkhand            | 4799027.97                                         |
| 16        | Karnataka            | 6903 195.94                                        |
| 17        | Kerala               | 2141319.57                                         |
| 18        | Ladakh               | 14252.94                                           |
| 19        | Lakshdweep           | 3866.27                                            |
| 20        | Madhya Pradesh       | 5352018.63                                         |
| 21        | Maharashtra          | 8306625.36                                         |
| 22        | Manipur              | 343878.35                                          |
| 23        | Meghalaya            | 429202.29                                          |
| 24        | Mizoram              | 153943.25                                          |
| 25        | Nagaland             | 224768.28                                          |
| 26        | Odisha               | 7063898.54                                         |
| 27        | Puducherry           | 5105.42                                            |
| 28        | Punjab               | 144574.82                                          |
| 29        | Rajasthan            | 305835.56                                          |
| 30        | Sikkim               | 59573.53                                           |
| 31        | Tami Inadu           | 6407055.86                                         |
| 32        | Telangana            | 3531739.82                                         |
| 33        | Tripura              | 529766.89                                          |
| 34        | Uttar Pradesh        | 16364933.14                                        |
| 35        | Uttrakhand           | 46 1 5919.02                                       |
| 36        | West Bengal          | 8009927.30                                         |
|           | Total                | 109810599.54                                       |