15,000 crore people to get benefit from the nutritional rice that will be available to ration card holders

The government has been taking various measures from time to time for the benefits of the ration card holders. Now the government of Uttar Pradesh is going to make some changes in the public ration distribution system. According to the Yogi government of Uttar Pradesh, from the beginning of 2023, under the ration distribution system in the state, fortified rice will be available in all ration shops.

Fortified rice, available in grocery stores, is more nutritious. It contains iron, folic acid and vitamin B-12. There are around 80 thousand shops in Uttar Pradesh under public distribution system. 3.59 crore ration cards holders will get fortified rice through this shop. This will help save 15 billion people for malnutrition.

Notably, fortified rice is being provided under the mid-day meal and child development scheme in UP since September 2021. Fortified rice is being sold in ration shops in 31 districts from June. Rice is being procured in the state from the Food Corporation of India.

The sale of MSP paddy has started in the state from October. This time, the paddy purchased from the government procurement center will be given to the rice mills preparing fortified rice. Fortified rice will be available from the rice mills by the end of December instead of paddy. According to this estimate, fortified rice will be distributed through ration shops in all districts of the state from next January. It is worth noting that the rice mill returns 67 kg of rice from one quintal of grain.

Many women in the country suffer from anemia. Apart from this, the growth of the child does not take place properly. As a rule, one kilogram of fortified rice contains 28 to 42.5 milligrams of iron, 75 to 125 micrograms of folic acid and 0.75 to 1.25 micrograms of Vitamin B-12. Eating this can cure anemia and malnutrition.