The Mysuru Zilla Panchayat and the Food and Civil Supplies Department have chalked out a year-long programme to create awareness among people about judicious consumption of food, food safety and other related issues from June 18th. People would be educated about judicious use of food, apart from developing a food discipline to ensure better health.
Anganawadi workers, health workers and teachers would be told about nutritious food to be distributed among children at anganawadis, children at schools and pregnant women.
B. Pushpa Amaranath, president of the Mysuru Zilla Panchayat, Chief Executive Officer of the zilla panchayat P.A. Gopal and Deputy Director of Food and Civil Supplies Department told presspersons here on Monday that consumption of unsafe food would cause many diseases, ranging from diarrhoea to various forms of cancer. Food-borne disease outbreaks would have devastating impact on the economy. The zilla panchayat and the Food Department felt the need to conduct an awareness programme all through the year, she said.
Ms. Pushpa said that a large quantity of food was being wasted in marriages and other functions. People should learn to get served with only the required amount of food. While many people were struggling to get a meal, several others were wasting the food, she said. Farmers would also be informed about various schemes of the government which would help them in agriculture. About 10 per cent of foodgrains produced in the country was being wasted owing to lack of storage facility. Food experts and scientists from different organisations working in the field of food technology were involved in the programme. Dinesh Gundu Rao, Food and Civil Supplies Minister, will inaugurate the function at Maharaja government junior college at 11 a.m. Mr.Srinivas Prasad, Minister for Revenue would take part in the programme.
