New Delhi: Amid heated debates, discussions and walkouts, Members of Parliament on Tuesday enjoyed a sumptuous lunch with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. To mark Millets Year 2023, Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar hosted a lunch which was attended by PM Modi, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and Congress and LOP Rajya Sabha President Mallikarjun Kharge. took. Minister of State for Agriculture Shobha Karandlaje said, “We prepared rotis and sweets made of jowar bajra and ragi, for which chefs were specially brought from Karnataka. I am glad that the Prime Minister really enjoyed his meal here.”
PM Modi took to Twitter and said, “As we prepare to mark 2023 as the International Year of Millets, attended a sumptuous lunch in Parliament where dishes of millets were served. Good to see participation across party lines.
In a tweet in Hindi, Agriculture Minister Narendra Tomar said, “In order to promote millets in the country and the world, in an initiative to celebrate the International Year of Nutritious Cereals in the year 2023, a ‘Special Millet Lunch’ was organized for MPs. Parliament campus today.”
The dishes made today included Bajra Khichdi, Ragi Dosa, Ragi Roti, Jowar Roti, Turmeric Vegetable, Bajra, Churma. Sweet dishes included millet kheer, millet cake, among others.
Earlier today, during the BJP Parliamentary Party meeting, PM Modi emphasized on celebrating the International Millet Year 2023 and suggested ways to promote the ongoing nutrition campaign through millets. On the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the United Nations has declared the year 2023 as the International Year of Millets (IYOM).
The Government of India had notified millet as a nutri-cereal in April 2018 and millets have also been included in the Poshan Mission Abhiyaan. Nutritious grain component for millets is being implemented in 212 districts of 14 states under the National Mission on Food Security (NFMS).
Asia and Africa are the major production and consumption centers of millet crops. India, Niger, Sudan and Nigeria are the major producers of millet. India is a major producer of millets which include sorghum, bajra, ragi and small millets along with kangni, kutki or small millet, codon, gangora or barnyard, china and brown top.
One or more species of millet crop are grown in most of the states of India. During the last 5 years, our country produced 13.71 to 18 million tonnes of millet with the highest production in 2020-21.