IMY 2023 LAUNCHED IN CHANDIGARH WITH MILLETS LUNCH AT PUNJAB RAJ BHAVAN
The Voice of Chandigarh News:
To mark the launch of International Year of Millets (IMY) – 2023, the Punjab Raj Bhavan hosts Millets Lunch for the elite of the City.
Renowned people of the City including the members of the newly constituted Administrator Advisory Council, Bureaucrats, Politicians, Industrialists, Doctors, Academicians and Media were seen feasting their palate with millets delicacies. The Millets Desserts, especially the Little Millet Kheer (kutki ki kheer), Ragi Halwa and the Steamed Ragi Dumplings stole the show.
On the sidelines of the lunch, talking to media, the Governor of Punjab and Administrator, UT, Chandigarh, Banwarilal Purohit informed that promoting Millets can be a turning point for India’s nutritional programmes. Millets are ‘Smart Food’ as they are easy to cultivate, mostly organic and contain high nutrition value. They are good for consumers, cultivators and climate. “Raising awareness to create Millet Mindfulness is essential”, said Banwarilal Purohit. He stressed upon adopting Millets as a part of daily diet and spreading awareness throughout the City highlighting the benefits of Millets. The Governor called upon all to popularize millets, making a beginning with their own kitchen.
Talking of the millet popularization/promotion initiatives in Chandigarh, Purohit informed that
• Jowar and Bajra have been incorporated in Supplementary Nutrition Programme for the beneficiaries of all 450 Anganwadi Centres. Presently, Khichri & Dalia of millets is being provided in form of Hot Cooked Meal to the beneficiaries.
• Anganwadi Workers are mobilizing community members on regular intervals by organizing putting up stalls of millets recipes demonstration.
• During POSHAN Maah, 2022, more than 200 programmes (awareness activities) were organized at Anganwadi Centres for demonstrations of Millets recipes.
• The Social welfare Department is working in convergence with PGIMER, Home Science College, Dietician GMSH-16, GMCH-32 Chandigarh for sensitizing the beneficiaries to use millets in their daily diet. For this purpose, Chefs from various hotel management institutes demonstrated the millet recipes in front of beneficiaries.
• To spread the awareness among the masses about use of Millets in routine diet, “Chandigarh Millets Mission” launched in the city to promote consumption of Millets and Chandigarh has become 1st City in North India in launching Millets Mission. Under this campaign, various activities such as live kitchen sessions for demonstration of millets recipes i.e. Jowar, Ragi , Kodo millet, chena millet, are being organized in all the circles of Anganwadi Centres in convergence with PGIMER, Chandigarh.
• Further, interactive sessions like e-ghoshties, Amma/Baba ki rasoi- cooking competitions, on line quizzes among the beneficiaries are also being organized under this programme.
• In UT State Guest House Millets Menu including Millets Thali & Millets Snacks (Kababs/cutlets) has been introduced.
• Increase in Millet consumption will not only ensure improvement in nutritional status, it will also help fight climate change as they are resilient crops and grow in half the time of wheat, need 40% less energy to process, and use 70 per cent less water than rice.
• In the face of climate change, water shortage and drought circumstances, they offer a one stop solution with high nutritional values to provide sustainable food security.
Prominent amongst those present on the occasion included Sarabjit Kaur, Mayor, MC, Satyapal Jain, Additional Solicitor General, GOI, VK Janjua Chief Secretary Punjab, Rakhee Gupta Bhandari, Principal Secretary to Governor, Dharampal, Adviser to Administrator and Parveer Ranjan, DGP Chandigarh.
