Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said millets (Shri Anna) have held significance since the Vedic era and emphasised need for research to increase its productivity. Inaugurating the state-level Shri Anna Mahotsav, an exhibition and workshop at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan, the chief minister said COVID-19 has taught a lesson that the more we embrace an “artificial lifestyle”, the more susceptible we become to epidemics. The CM said,
We must adopt a natural lifestyle, and Shri Anna will be very helpful in this regard. There is a need for research to increase its productivity.
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According to a press statement issued by the state government, the chief minister also visited the exhibition organised by millet producers from all over the state. Shri Anna Mahotsav will be organised for three days. He further said,
Three-day Shri Anna Mahotsav is being organised on the occasion of the 34th foundation day of the Uttar Pradesh Agricultural Research Council, which is working for research and development in the field of agriculture. This festival will become a means of comprehensive change in the lives of farmers of UP. Till the sixth and seventh decades of the last century, coarse grains (millets) were produced in large quantities. This was a part of our daily lives. However, due to population growth and a slowdown in research and development, its production decreased.
He also said that while India has made great strides in achieving food self-sufficiency, it has also faced adverse consequences, such as an increase in diseases due to excessive use of chemical fertilisers. During the ceremony, he honoured 35 farmers’ organisations working in the area of ‘Shri Anna’.
Besides this, an assistance of Rs 95 lakh each was provided to five Krishi Vigyan Kendras of the state (Jhansi, Lalitpur, Banda, Hamirpur, and Ghazipur) for millets-processing plants. State Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi, MSME Minister Rakesh Sachan, Minister of State for Agriculture Baldev Singh Aulakh, UP Agricultural Research Council Chairman Captain Vikas Gupta, Agriculture Production Commissioners Manoj Kumar Singh, Sanjay Aggarwal, Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi, and vice chancellors of agricultural universities were also present on this occasion.
Also Read: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India Launches Eat Right Creativity Challenge For Millets
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – theLGBTQ population,indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In wake of the currentCOVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water,SanitationandHygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fightmalnutrition, mental wellbeing, self care, science and health,adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues likeair pollution,waste management,plastic ban,manual scavengingand sanitation workers andmenstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India wheretoiletsare used andopen defecation free (ODF)status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched byPrime Minister Narendra Modiin 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
