Under the PDS system, the state government will begin delivering fortified rice to BPL ration card holders' families in April through fair-price shops throughout the state, including the Mahasamund district.

According to District Food Officer Shri Ajay Yadav, there are 2,73,092 BPL ration cards in the Mahasamund district. These ration cards have a total of 9 lahks, 77 thousand, and 553 people. These BPL ration card holders would receive fortified rice from the district's 591 government fair-price stores.

Collector Nileshkumar Kshirsagar, has urged BPL consumers to use fortified rice given by fair-price stores in the district and to avoid any kind of false information. This rice is high in nutrients and can help with anaemia and malnutrition.

The purpose of the distribution of fortified rice is to provide additional nutritious rice to the beneficiaries. Fortified rice contains iron, folic acid, vitamin B-12, and other minerals. Consumption of fortified rice will remove malnutrition from people as well as provide health benefits. Fortified rice means adding fortified rice kernels (FRK) to normal rice (custom-milled rice) in a fixed ratio of 100:1, that is, mixing 1 kg of FRK with 100 kg of custom-milled rice.

The colour and shape of fortified rice may differ somewhat from regular rice. Due to a lack of information about fortified rice in many areas, the mixed rice, which differs from regular rice in colour and shape, is separated and the rest of the rice is used. Such customers are urged to avoid misconceptions and use this nutritionally fortified rice for its health benefits.