Supply of fortified rice through fair price shops across country by 2023: Choubey

The rice would be made available to public through markets in the future, he said

As part of its efforts to ensure nutrient-rich food, the government would start distribution of fortified rice through fair price shops all over the country by 2023, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ashwini Kumar Choubey said here on Sunday.

The Minister said the fortified rice is already being distributed through Integrated Child Development Services and Mid-Day Meal scheme and that such rice would be made available at all ration shops.

"By 2023 we are going to supply fortified rice through fair price shops in all states," Choubey told reporters here.

Similarly, not only ration shops, the fortified rice would be made available to public through markets in the future, he said.

Choubey, also the Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, further said he had held review meetings here on Saturday wherein senior officials from Departments of Civil Supplies and Environment, Pollution Control Board from Telangana participated but no Ministers from Telangana attended the meetings. "As a Central Minister I had sent the schedule of my meeting here also, but Telangana Ministers of both the departments, who were supposed to attend the meeting as per protocol, did not. The Telangana government has to take care to ensure that protocol is followed, he said.

The Central government is keen on the welfare of people of Telangana, he said.

Amid the escalated war of words between the ruling TRS and the BJP, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on February 5 skipped Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the city.

KCR, as the Chief Minister is also known, said he was unwell and hence couldn't make it.

The absence irked the saffron party which said KCR failed to follow the protocol and alleged that amounted to insulting the Prime Minister. Of late, the BJP and TRS have constantly been engaged in verbal duels. The regional party alleged that the Centre refused to buy paddy from Telangana while the BJP rubbished the allegations.

Reacting to a query, Choubey said under the leadership of Modi there has been zero tolerance towards corruption.

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