Food Ministry to start week-long events under Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav from Monday

Starting from Monday, the Department of Food and Public Distribution will organise several activities, seminars, webinars and other events at various places in the country, as part of the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' celebrations to mark 75 years of independence throughout India.

New Delhi: The Food and Consumer Affairs Ministry will be organising weeklong special events and programmes from Monday, as part of the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' celebrations to mark 75 years of independence throughout India.

During this period, the Department of Food and Public Distribution will organise several activities, seminars, webinars and other events at various places in the country, the ministry said in a statement.

The department will undertake activities on sensitisation and spreading awareness about fortified rice in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

On the opening day of the celebration, presentations would be made on 'India's journey in PDS (Public Distribution System) Reforms to ensure food security' highlighting the significance and impact of technology on PDS and India's experience in ensuring food security during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal will virtually inaugurate the divisional office Hubli, Karnataka, and Food Security Museum at Thanjavur, Chennai, along with a photo exhibition.

Indian Grain Storage Management and Research Institute (IGMRI) Hapur will independently undertake a programme for generating awareness about food security among the students pursuing Agricultural Science.

The second day will be dedicated to procurement operations, including direct benefit transfer, and a short film will be exhibited. Interaction of farmers and beneficiaries at procurement centres will be done. National Sugar Institute (NSI) Kanpur will organise the 50th Convocation Ceremony.

The following day, IGMRI, Hapur, will organise an awareness generation programme for farmers on efficient storage and quality control.

Further, another awareness programme on various refraction of foodgrains and the importance of fortified rice would also be convened by the organisation.

Presentations will be made on 'Journey of the Department of Food & Public Distribution in the field of ensuring food security in these 75 years and 'Importance of Fortified Rice'.

The fourth day will be dedicated to sugarcane farmers. Interaction with farmers, self-help groups on 'Best Practices in Sugarcane Farming' will be held.

Related institutions of Lucknow and Kanpur will participate while interacting with farmers, SHGs, and sugar mills from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Karnataka, and Punjab on best practices in cane farming.

The fifth-day events are scheduled in Assam, wherein the Union Minister will inaugurate a modern Silo at Changsari. He will also inaugurate a short film on storage operations.

On the same day, a public event will be organised with Anganwadi kids and mothers for imparting nutrition-related information and the importance of fortified rice in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

On the sixth day, Analytical Quality Control Laboratory will be inaugurated at the Institute of Food Security (IFS), Gurugram. A short film on the bursting myth of plastic rice and the fortification of rice will also be launched.

Besides, street play in coordination with Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) on the subject of fortified rice will be organised.

Interestingly, cooking demonstrations using fortified rice and social media promotion and community feeding to make people aware of fortified rice will also be organised in association with the World Food Programme in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

The concluding day of the week of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav will report other significant activities like a discussion on storage and warehouse. At least 200 farmer producer organisations (FPOs) are expected to participate in the event.

PTI