Chandigarh, Feb. 9 -- The Punjab food and civil supplies department has called fresh tenders for the purchase of one-lakh tonnes of fortified rice kernels (FRK) at a cost of Rs.400 crore. The kernels are to be mixed with freshly shelled paddy currently being processed by 5,500 rice mills across the state, officials privy of the matter said.

The fresh tenders were necessitated due to an acute shortage of FRK, which has been mandated by the Union ministry of food and public distribution to address nutritional deficiencies among rice consumers under the public distribution system (PDS). Fortified rice kernels, a mix of vitamins and micronutrients, are manufactured separately and are to be mixed with freshly milled rice at a ratio of 1:100....