The government is seeking ways to deal with an excess of over 18 million MT of rice stored in the Food Corporation of India (FCI) warehouses, which is causing a significant drain on the treasury due to warehousing costs. After rejecting a proposal to revise the specifications for the rice distributed free to the poor under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKY), alternative options are being considered. One proposal being discussed is to increase the allocation of rice under PMGKY to accommodate the surplus. Another option is to provide free food to employees of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). Additionally, there is a suggestion to reduce the price of rice under the open market sales scheme (OMSS) as part of the disposal strategy.