Health and Family Welfare Minister, Dr. M. Ampareen Lyngdoh on Tuesday inaugurated the two-day Eat Right Millet Mela at Malki Ground, Shillong.
This year has been declared the International year of Millets by The United Nations General Assembly. To create awareness about the health and other benefits of Millets, the Commissioner of Food Safety Government of Meghalaya, Shillong and Director FSSAI, Eastern Region, RO Kolkata organised Eat Right Millets Mela.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Lyngdoh calls it an innovative style of promoting millet within the ambit of food safety.
The Minister also said she looks forward to see this food grain also being added to some of the intervention of the Government of Meghalaya and Government of India likewise to inculcate good eating habits, healthy food to the younger generation.
With the intervention of the government the minister hoped that many more farmers will rejuvenate the farming practices by taking up millet cultivation which is totally an eco friendly crop that does not require irrigation facilities or external inputs and millet can also be used with any food item that is popular in the market.
Earlier the minister also inspected the different stalls that were set up in the mela exhibiting the various millet food products.
Reinforcing its focus towards building a healthier nation with the right nutrition, the Mela is organised to promote the importance of holistic well-being through an active lifestyle and the right nutrition in the form of a balanced diet and nutrition supplementation.
Others present during the programme include R.M Kurbah, Commissioner of Food Safety, S. Kharsati Director of Agriculture, D.B.S Mukhim, Assistant Commissioner of Food Safety, East Khasi Hills, Dr. Sandra Albert, Director, IIPH Shillong among others.