FCI directs officials to accept only fortified raw rice

HYDERABAD: In a move that is likely to trigger a fresh controversy between the BRS government and the Centre, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has issued directions to its officials in Telangana state to accept only fortified raw rice for public distribution (PDS) starting on January 9.

The FCI's circular may spark a verbal spat between the Telangana government and the Centre because some rice mills throughout the state have failed to upgrade machinery to produce fortified rice. Rice millers must install blending machines to mix fortified rice kernels (FRKs) with rice during the paddy milling process.

This machine, according to rice millers, will cost around `5 lakh. Although the majority of the rice mills in Telangana have installed blending machines, a considerable number of rice mills lack the facility.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced in 2021 that all rice distributed through food security schemes/ PDS will be fortified with iron and folic acid by 2024 to combat malnutrition and anaemia among women and children.

Telangana Rice Millers Association president Tudi Devender Reddy stated the majority of the state's 2,200 rice mills installed these machines because the state government was already procuring fortified rice and supplying it to students in government schools, welfare hostels, anganwadi centres to provide nutritious food to children and pregnant mothers.

"There could be some 400 to 500 rice mills which are yet to install these machines. This would not pose a big problem as millers can install these machines by spending nearly Rs 5 lakh each. The deadline of January 9 may pose a problem and if the deadline is extended by two or three weeks, this problem could be resolved," Devender Reddy said.

Last year, the Centre and state governments were embroiled in controversy over parboiled rice procurement in rabi season. The Centre refused to accept parboiled rice stocks and insisted on raw rice stocks in rabi, while the Telangana government argued that due to summer heat, only parboiled rice could be produced in the state, and if raw rice was produced in mills, broken rice would be produced in large quantities, causing losses.

The circular sent by FCI general manager, Telangana stated that, "It is to inform that as on date FCI is accepting some quantity of non-fortified raw rice only from kharif season 2021-22. For rabi season 2021-22 and kharif 2022-23, only fortified rice is being accepted. Now, in the coming days, there will be no demand for non-fortified rice in recipient regions.”

The circular was issued to FCI Divisional Offices in Hyderabad, Sanathnagar, Tarnaka, Warangal, Nizamabad, Nalgonda, Khammam and Karimnagar.

The officials were directed to accept only fortified raw rice with effect from January 9, 2023. The same may be intimated to all divisional managers concerned and all rice millers’ associations in advance to implement the same. "All DMs will ensure that no non-fortified rice is accepted beyond January 7, 2023, the circular noted.