Sunday, 08 October 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The Cooperation, Health and Education minister Dhan Singh Rawat has said that the department of cooperatives is directly purchasing millets from the farmers due to which their income is being augmented.
The minister was speaking in a programme organised on occasion of Gadhbhoj Diwas at Rajiv Gandhi Navodaya Vidyalaya here on Saturday. The programme was organised under the aegis of Himalayan Jadi Booti Agro Sansthan (JADI) and Parvatiya Vikas Shodh Sansthan to promote local food and millets. Rawat said that a state level essay competition will be organised to promote traditional food in the Schools of Uttarakhand. He said that on the proposal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi the United Nations Organisation (UNO) has declared 2023 as the International year of Millets. Similarly the government has started the Ann-Shree scheme to promote millets by making a provision in the union budget. It will also help in doubling the income of farmers. Rawat said that in its endeavour to support farmers and provide nutritious food to the students the State government has included millets in the mid day meal (MDM).
The minister said that the students showing good performance in the essay completion will be felicitated.
The organisers of the programme also felicitated Rawat on the occasion of his birthday. The minister honoured Neetu Gupta and Sweta from Hardiwar and Namita Bisht from Ranikhet for authoring books on traditional food.
In the programme the students and guests also relished the local dishes prepared from millets.
