Minister Ganesh Joshi inaugurates ‘Shree Anna, The Healthy Millet’ event in New Delhi
By Our Staff Reporter
NEW DELHI, 19 Jul: Uttarakhand Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Ganesh Joshi inaugurated the “Shree Anna-The Healthy Millet” programme organised by Lalit Suri Hospitality Group at Hotel Lalit in New Delhi. This program was also launched in 12 other states, including Karnataka, J&K, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Goa and Maharashtra.
In his address at the launch of the Shree Anna programme, Agriculture Minister Ganesh Joshi said that, through the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the year 2023 has been declared as International Millet Year. He said that Shree Anna is traditionally cultivated in Uttarakhand and is very beneficial from the point of view of health.
He added that, in Uttarakhand, under the leadership of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the Millets Mission is being conducted in the state to disseminate millets and to increase its production and productivity. The government has made a provision of Rs 73 crores in the budget for this. Expressing happiness, the Minister said that, today, the millets of Uttarakhand have been established as a brand. Shree Ann will be distributed in the public distribution system through the Millet Mission and will also be used in the mid-day meal programme. Along with this, coarse grains will be purchased from the farmers by the women of self-help groups, for which they would be given an incentive of Rs 1.50 per kg. This would have two benefits. On the one hand, the determination of women associated with self-help groups to become Lakhpati Didis would be strengthened and, on the other hand, the millets of Uttarakhand will gain fame not only in the country but also abroad. Under the leadership of the Chief Minister, the state government organised the Shree Anna Mahotsav in Dehradun and parallel events in Mussoorie, Delhi and Goa to give wide publicity to the state’s millets. The minister said that the state government is making continuous efforts to promote Shree Anna.
On this occasion, an in-principle agreement was also arrived at between the Government of Uttarakhand and the Lalit Suri Hospitality Group for the promotion and marketing of Shree Anna.
For the next month, New Delhi-based Lalit Suri Hospitality Group has included Shree Anna of Uttarakhand in the menu of its hotel established in 12 states of the country and one in England for the promotion of Shree Anna. This was inaugurated today by Ganesh Joshi at Lalit Hotel in Delhi. In addition, the programme was launched by the Agriculture Ministers of 11 other states in Lalit Group hotels.
Outlets of local products of Uttarakhand were also set up by the Uttarakhand Organic Board and Mandi. Many farmers of Uttarakhand also participated.
CMD Dr Jyotsna Suri of Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, COSAM MD Dr JS Yadav, Kulbhushan Ahuja, senior BJP leader Mahendra Pandey, senior journalists Sudhir Chaudhary, Vinay Kumar, Vijay Thapliyal, etc., were present on the occasion.
