Supply ragi through PDS: DMDK

CHENNAI: DMDK on Monday urged the State government to sell ragi through the Public Distribution System, considering the high level of nutrients present in it.Participating in the discussion on the demands for grants for the Food department in the State Assembly, DMDK member L Venkatesan said gone were the days when ragi and pearl millet porridge was considered as food for the poor. Now, due to change in life-style, even people in urban areas were taking food items made of ragi because of its health benefits.Venkatesan said at present, wheat was being supplied through PDS, but a majority of the people had not been using it. If ragi is supplied, it would be useful for the people, he said. To this, Food Minister R Kamaraj said supplying millets like ragi would not be possible as their production was very low in Tamil Nadu.  Responding, Venkatesan said if the government was ready to supply millets through PDS, farmers would be encouraged to produce them in large scale.