Popularise millets, include these in daily diet, says Chandigarh Administrator

Chandigarh, January 2

To mark the launch of International Year of Millets (IMY) – 2023, the Punjab Raj Bhawan hosted ‘Millets Lunch’ for the elite of the city.

Renowned people of the city, including members of the newly constituted Administrator’s Advisory Council, bureaucrats, politicians, industrialists, doctors and academicians, were seen feasting their palate with millets delicacies.

Millets desserts, especially little millet kheer (kutki ki kheer), ragi halwa and steamed ragi dumplings stole the show.

Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Banwarilal Purohit called upon all to popularise millets, making a beginning with their own kitchen.

While talking to the media on the sidelines of the lunch, the Administrator informed that promoting millets could be a turning point for India’s nutritional programmes. Millets are ‘Smart Food’ as these were easy to cultivate, mostly organic and contain high nutrition value. These were good for consumers, cultivators and climate.

“Raising awareness to create millet mindfulness is essential,” said Purohit. He stressed upon adopting millets as a part of daily diet and spreading awareness throughout the city highlighting its benefits.

Talking about the millet popularisation/promotion initiatives in Chandigarh, Purohit said ‘jowar’ and ‘bajra’ had been incorporated in the Supplementary Nutrition Programme for the beneficiaries of all 450 anganwadi centres. Presently, ‘khichri’ and ‘dalia’ of millets was being provided in form of hot cooked meal to the beneficiaries. Anganwadi workers are mobilising community members at regular intervals.

During POSHAN Maah – 2022, more than 200 programmes (awareness activities) were organised at anganwadi centres for demonstration of millets recipes.

The Social Welfare Department is working with the PGI, Home Science College, dieticians from GMSH-16 and GMCH-32 to sensitise 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 the use of millets in routine diet, “Chandigarh Millets Mission” was launched in the city to promote consumption of millets and Chandigarh became the first city in the 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 and chena millet are being organised in all circles of anganwadi centres.

Interactive sessions such as e-ghoshties, amma/baba ki rasoi-cooking competitions and online quizzes among beneficiaries are also being organised under this programme.

Millets menu, including millets thali & millets snacks (kababs/cutlets), has been introduced at the UT State Guest House.

Increase in millet consumption will not only ensure improvement in nutritional status, but will also help fight climate change as these are resilient crops and grow in half the time of wheat, need 40 per cent less energy to process, and use 70 per cent less water than rice.

In the face of climate change, water shortage and drought circumstances, millets offer a one-stop solution with high nutritional values to provide sustainable food security.

Prominent among those present on the occasion included Sarabjit Kaur, Mayor; Satya Pal Jain, Additional Solicitor General; VK Janjua, Chief Secretary, Punjab; Rakhee Gupta Bhandari, Principal Secretary to Governor; Dharam Pal, UT Adviser; and Parveer Ranjan, DGP, Chandigarh.