(a) whether the Government plans to provide nutritious food to tribal regions like YSR Sampoorna Poshana Scheme implemented by Andhra Pradesh;
(b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
(c) the details of steps taken by the Government to ensure availability of nutritious food apart from Bio-Fortification of food grains?
A N S W E R
MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(SADHVI NIRANJAN JYOTI)
(a) to (b): Under the scheme "Welfare Institutions and Hostels Scheme", foodgrains (rice and wheat) are allocated to States/UTs at Below Poverty Line (BPL) rates to meet the requirement of Government owned and aided/sponsored welfare institutions and of all the residents/students of the Government owned and aided/sponsored hostels having 2/3rd residents belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC)/Scheduled Tribes (ST)/Other Backward Classes (OBC) category. The scale of issue of wheat and rice is as per the requirement of the residents, subject to a maximum of 15 kg per resident per month. The foodgrains are allocated on the basis of requests received from States/UTs and as per guidelines of the scheme.
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(c): The National Food Security Act, 2013 provides that pregnant women and lactating mothers and children in the age group of 6 months to 14 years are entitled to meals as per prescribed nutritional norms under Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and PM Poshan (erstwhile MDM Scheme) schemes. Higher nutritional norms are prescribed for malnourished children upto 6 years of age.
To address anaemia and micro-nutrient deficiency in the country, Government of India approved Centrally Sponsored Pilot Scheme on "Fortification of Rice & its Distribution under Public Distribution System" for a period of 3 years beginning in 2019-20 with total outlay of Rs. 174.64 Cr. The Pilot Scheme focuses on 15 districts across 15 states, preferably 1 district per State. Fifteen State Governments i.e. Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand& Madhya Pradesh have consented and identified their respective Districts (1 District Per State) for implementation of the Pilot Scheme. So far, eleven (11) States namely Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand have reported distribution of fortified rice in their identified districts under the pilot scheme. So far 3.15 Lakh Metric Ton (LMT) of fortified rice has been distributed under the Pilot Scheme.
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