Chhattisgarh CM urges PM Modi to include millet in food grains distribution under National Food Security Act

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], January 8 : Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take steps to promote millet meals and include 20-25 per cent millets in the subsidised food grains being distributed under the National Food Security Act.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, Baghel said, "The year 2023 has been declared as 'International Millet Year' by the United Nations on the initiative of the Government of India. The Millet crops can play an important role in controlling anaemia and malnutrition. Unfortunately, in the past years, due to the lack of a marketing system, there has been a decrease in the production of millet crops in the country."
He further informed that his government had also started the 'Millet Mission' and had also declared the minimum support price of ragi and other crops and was taking concrete arrangements to collect and market it.
"I am happy to inform that with the establishment of the "Millet Mission" and to promote the production of millet crops in the state of Chhattisgarh, the government has declared the minimum support price of kodo, kutki and ragi produced in the state and elaborate arrangements have been made for their collection and marketing," said the Chief Minister.
He further said that an "input subsidy" of Rs 9,000 per acre "input subsidy" is also being given to these millet producers in the state as compared to other states
"In no state of the country, so much assistance is being given to the producers of millet crops. Due to these reasons, the area and production of millet crops have increased more than two times in the state in the last two years," said the Chief Minister.
Baghel urged PM Modi 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.
"In order to promote the production and consumption of millet crops and to make it a "people's movement", it would be appropriate to include 20-25 per cent millets in the subsidised food grains being distributed under the "National Food Security Act", the mid-day meal program, are being given by the Women and Child Development Department and subsidised food grains being given to students in ashram and hostels," he said.
The Chief Minister further added that if the central government decides to buy millet crops at the minimum support price from the state governments and supply them at a subsidized rate for use in the above schemes, then there will be an unprecedented increase in the production and consumption of millet crops.
The year 2032 is being celebrated as the International Year of Millets.
The government of India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi spearheaded the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution for declaring the year 2023 as the International Year of Millets and the proposal of India was supported by 72 countries.
UNGA declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets in March 2021.
January 2023 is the focussed month for the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, and the States of Chhattisgarh, Mizoram, and Rajasthan for conducting events and activities related to the millets year.
India pushed for recognizing the importance of millet and creating a domestic and global demand along with providing nutritious food to the community.
Millet is a common term for categorizing small-seeded grasses that are often called Nutri-cereals. Some of them are sorghum (jowar), pearl millet (bajra), finger millet (ragi), little millet (kutki), foxtail millet (kakun), proso millet (cheena), barnyard millet (sawa), and kodo millet (kodon).