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| Government approves supply of improved-quality rice under PMGKAY; over 80 crore beneficiaries to receive better-quality rice | | | Early Times Report
NEW DELHI, July 2: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved a landmark reform to improve the quality of rice supplied under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) and Other Welfare Schemes.
For the first time in nearly three decades, the Government has revised the quality specifications of rice supplied under the Public Distribution System ensuring that beneficiaries receive rice with substantially lower broken grain content while maintaining their existing entitlements.
Under the approved policy:
Raw rice supplied under PMGKAY will contain up to 10% broken grains, replacing the existing specification of up to 25%.
Parboiled rice will contain up to 5% broken grains, replacing the existing specification of up to 16%.
Procurement of improved-quality rice will commence immediately and will be rolled out across all procuring States by the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2027-28 in a phased manner.
Distribution of improved-quality rice under PMGKAY and Other Welfare Schemes will also be undertaken in a phased manner, ensuring a smooth transition to the revised specifications across all States.
Better quality for beneficiaries
The decision reflects the Government's commitment not only to ensuring food security but also to improving the quality of food grains supplied to more than 80 crore beneficiaries under PMGKAY and Other Welfare Schemes. Beneficiaries will receive rice with better grain integrity, improved appearance and higher consumer acceptability without any change in their entitlement.
Productive utilisation of broken rice
Under the revised specifications, the broken rice generated during milling will be separated and utilised productively for other purposes . This will ensure that superior edible rice reaches beneficiaries under PMGKAY.
-The reform is expected to lead to rationalisation of transportation, storage and handling costs, as broken rice will be auctioned directly from millers' premises. Jute bag requirements will also reduce, with broken rice being stored in HDPE bags. This is expected to lead to annual cost rationalisation of Rs 2161 crore through reduced logistics, storage and packaging cost. In addition, the sale of broken rice will generate additional revenue, further helping to reduce the food subsidy burden.
Pilot Implementation
The proposal has already been validated through pilot implementation in multiple States like Haryana, Andra Pradesh, Punjab, Orissa, Telangana and Chhattisgarh. The pilot has demonstrated the operational feasibility of producing improved-quality rice at scale. Following the Cabinet approval, the improved-quality rice generated under the pilot will also be supplied to beneficiaries under PMGKAY and Other Welfare Schemes.
The reform also envisages QR-code tagging of rice bags to enable end-to-end traceability across the supply chain, strengthening transparency, accountability and inventory management in the Public Distribution System, effectively plugging any scope for leakages.
The Government has ensured food security for every eligible household. The next step is to achieve food security with improved quality. This historic decision ensures that poor families receive better-quality rice with dignity while also improving efficiency, transparency and fiscal prudence in foodgrain management.
Key Highlights
First reduction in permissible broken rice percentage in nearly 30 years.
Up to 10% broken in raw rice and 5% broken in parboiled rice.
Better-quality rice for over 80 crore PMGKAY beneficiaries.
Productive utilisation of resultant broken rice for industrial uses.
QR-code based traceability to strengthen transparency in PDS. |
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