Amid huge stockpiles of fortified rice from previous years in the country’s godowns, the Centre on Friday decided to temporarily discontinue its universal supply under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) and other welfare schemes.The decision to discontinue the supply was conveyed by Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution to all states.A letter, a copy of which is with The Tribune, says that the scheme is discontinued “until a more effective mechanism for delivery of nutrients to beneficiariesis identified”.This has come as a relief to rice millers, who for the past three months were on a warpath with the Centre over the issue of tightening of quality standards, which the millers argued was not in consonance with the ground reality.A dual testing protocol on fortified rice was introduced, which led to long delays and blending of rice with fortified kernels could not take place.Thus custom milling of rice had come to a virtual standstill. Ninety percent rice to be milled this year was to be fortified and delivered to the Centre. Only ten percent of broken grains were to be delivered as Improved Rice.In the new circular, it has been decided that to ensure complete utilisation of existing fortified rice and fortified rice kernel (FRK) stocks, the states where the FRK empanelment tender process has not yet been finalised, the process be discontinued with immediate effect. Also, no fresh empanelment of FRK manufacturers shall be undertaken in any state.