Raipur: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to promote the production and consumption of millets and to make it a mass movement. In the letter, Baghel urged the PM to include 20-25 per cent millets in the subsidised food grains being distributed under the National Food Security Act, mid-day meal schemes, nutritious food provided by the Women and Child Development departments and subsidised food grains being given to students in ashram-hostels, the official informed.
Baghel also sought permission for states to buy millets under minimum support price and to supply it at subsidised rates, he said. The year 2023 has been declared as 'International Millet Year' by the United Nations on the initiative of the Indian government and such crops can play an important role in controlling anaemia and malnutrition, the letter said.
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In the letter, the CM said there was as a drop in millet production. Hence, his government launched the 'Millet Mission'. The State government also declared the minimum support price for finger millet and was taking concrete arrangements to collect and market it, the CM informed in the letter.
"A subsidy of Rs 9,000 per acre is being provided to millet crop producers in Chhattisgarh as compared to other states. Due to this, the area and production of millet crops have increased more than two times in the state in the last two years," Baghel said. CM Baghel has mentioned in a letter to PM Modi that the production of millets should be made a mass movement. It would be right to take a decision regarding this. For this, it should be included in the food grains distributed under the 'National Food Security Act', the mid-day meal programme, and the nutritional diet programme given by the Women and Child Development Department.
