Uttarakhand Chief Secretary instructs officials to increase production of millets in state
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], February 29 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Radha Raturi instructed officials to increase the production of millets in the state at a meeting of the House of Himalaya and Millet Mission at the Vidhan Sabha Bhawan on Thursday. The Chief Secretary has instructed the Agriculture and Horticulture Department to identify unused valleys and lands in the state and prepare an action plan for area expansion, promoting the production of Mandua, Jhangora and Amaranth on a large scale. She said that this work has to be done in a phased manner. Its operation should be given to women’s self-help groups on priority. The Chief Secretary has said that to increase the production and procurement of Mandua, Jhangora, Amaranth and other local products, the Agriculture and Horticulture Department as well as the Cooperative Department will have to play an active role. In this direction, the Chief Secretary has given instructions to ensure an MOU between UCF (Uttarakhand State Cooperative Federation) and the House of Himalaya. The CS has instructed the officials to study the input cost in relation to making a proposal regarding the MSP (minimum support price) of Jhangora and Amaranth. Chief Secretary Radha Raturi has given instructions to increase the use of Millets Mandua, Jhangora etc. in the food products served in all the government buildings and institutions including the Assembly, Secretariat, GMVN, KMVN etc. Raturi has specifically instructed the Women Development and Child Welfare Department and the Health Department to encourage local millets like Mandua, Jhangaura, and Chaulai for the health development of women and children. She said that the role of ANM, Asha workers and Anganwadi will be important in this regard. To strengthen Uttarakhand’s umbrella brand House of Himalaya and for better marketing of local products, Raturi has instructed the concerned officials to study the functioning of big established brands at the national and international level. The Chief Secretary has directed that special care should be taken for the quality and certification of products under the House of Himalaya, which acts as a platform for local products of Uttarakhand. Principal Secretary RK Sudhanshu, Secretary R. Meenakshi Sundaram, Radhika Jha, B.V.R.C. Purushottam, Vinod Kumar Suman, Chandresh Kumar, Arvind Singh Hayanki, Additional Secretary Manuj Goyal and other concerned officers were present in the meeting. (ANI)