Project on millets selected for State science congress

Mysuru Karnataka: 16 08 2016: Government's decision against release of water for khariff crops has brought the focus on raagi. PHOTO:M.A.SRIRAM

A project espousing the supply of ragi and other minor millets through ration shops, by the tribal students of a special school functioning under National Child Labour Project, will figure among the presentations at the State-level Science Congress to be held in Coimbatore later this month.

The project readied by the students based on a field study at Kongadai village and surrounding hamlets on Burgur hills was one among nine chosen from the district for the Science Congress funded by the Department of Science and Technology, New Delhi.

The students have, in the project titled ‘Traditional Knowledge of Tribals and Sustaining their Livelihood’, documented the living style, agricultural practices, food habits and medicinal properties of the millet varieties produced on the hills.

The project exhorts the State Government to supply

ragi, saamai, thinai, varagu, and kuthiraivali cultivated organically on the hills to the poor through ration shops.

Medicinal value

The products have high medicinal value for diabetics.

But the poor people find the products expensive when sold through outlets dealing with organic products, S.C.Natraj, Director of SUDAR NGO, that runs the NCLP school said.

The idea behind the project is to drive home the fact that subsidies must be enhanced for nature farming and encouragement must be provided to cultivators on the hills to expand the crop area, he said.

The students who have handed over the project contents to District Collector S.Prabakar are hopeful about the State Government taking a positive look.