Vijayapura: Giving a positive indication on considering the demand to distribute lime pickle among the students in midday meal, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Umesh Katti has said that he would speak to the Education Minister in this regard.
Addressing the mediapersons after participating in the Republic Day programme on Wednesday January 26, he was replying to the demand of Lime Development Board Chairman Ashok Allapur who wants the government to distribute lime pickles in midday meals.
Allapur had said that since Vijayapura is the largest lime growing district in the State, the farmers are not getting enough benefits from the crop.
The farmers will be benefited if the government prepares pickle from the Board and it is distributed among the students in the midday programme.
According to him, pickles will not only boost the economy of lemon farmers but will also improve the immunity of the children as lemon has Vitamin C.
“It is a good proposal and appreciable. However, the decision on distribution cannot be taken right away without studying the availability and demand. For which, I will speak to the Education Minister about it,” Katti said.
To a question on distributing pickles in Public Distribution System (PDS), the Minister made it clear that it is not possible to bring pickles under PDS.
With regard to the distribution of Jawar in the PDS, he said that owing to the shortage of production of Jawar, it is not possible to supply it to the PDS.
He said that the farmers too are not producing enough quantity of Jawar in the North Karnataka region.
“Our government is holding discussions with the Central Government to include Jawar in the Minimum Support Price list and hike MSP. This will encourage the farmers to cultivate more Jawar in the NK region. If we get enough quantity of Jawar, then the government has no problem in distributing in PDS,” he said.
The Minister said that a similar problem is also with Ragi, which the government wishes to distribute in PDS in Central Karnataka.
Earlier, he said that he is happy to work as District In-Charge Minister of Vijayapura for the second time in his political career.
He said that in 1996, he was Minister for Sugar, at that time he was made District In-charge Minister.
MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, Deputy Commissioner P. Sunil Kumar, ZP CEO Govind Reddy, ZP H. D. Anand Kumar were present.
