Uttarakhand

• 30 Dec 2022

Central Government Will Buy Manduwa of Uttarakhand

Why In News?

• On December 29, 2022, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami informed that the central government will procure coarse grains (Manduwa) produced in the hilly districts of Uttarakhand. The Uttarakhand government had sent a proposal to the Union Food and Public Distribution Department to procure Manduwa for the crop year 2022-23, which has been approved by the central government.

Key Points

• The Chief Minister said that this decision will greatly benefit the farmers of the hill districts of the state. In the first phase , 9600 metric tonnes of Manduwa will be procured. This will cost the government Rs 45 crore.
• The minimum support price of Manduwa in the state is fixed at Rs 3574 per quintal. For this, instructions have been given to the Food Civil Supplies Department, Mandi Council, Cooperative Societies, Women and Child Development Department and Education Department to work in coordination.
• Manduwa is rich in nutrition. Now the central government will be able to buy Manduwa from farmers and provide it to children as well as others through mid-day meal and public distribution system. This will not only increase the income of the farmers of the state, but will also provide nutritious food to school children and the needy.
• He said that in the first phase, Manduwa procurement scheme will be implemented at the fixed minimum support price from the farmers of two districts Almora and Pauri under the pilot scheme in the hilly areas of the state. The Manduwa purchased will be distributed through public distribution system in Udham Singh Nagar, Haridwar, Dehradun and Nainital.
• The scheme will be operated as follows-
  • About eight lakh families of the four districts will benefit from the National Food Security Scheme.
  • One kg of Manduwa per card per month will be given free of cost.
  • The purchase will be done at 20 purchase centers operating in Almora district and 11 centers in Pauri.
  • It will be distributed to the beneficiaries through the Public Distribution System.
• It is noteworthy that Manduwa grown in the mountainous region of Uttarakhand is a treasure trove of nutrition. It has an important place in the traditional crops here. Despite 85 per cent of the total cultivable land of the state being unirrigated, it can be easily cultivated here. Manduwa is beneficial for people suffering from heart and diabetes disease. Due to the presence of adequate nutrients in it, it is also helpful in protecting against malnutrition.

State Level Sports Mahakumbh

Why In News?

• On December 29, 2022, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated the State Level Sports Mahakumbh at Maharana Pratap Sports College, Dehradun.

Key Points

• In the inaugural program of the State Level Sports Mahakumbh, the winners and participants of international competitions were felicitated. The Chief Minister handed over cheques ranging from Rs 2 crore to Rs 33,000 to the players.
• The objective of the Khel Mahakumbh is to prepare the players for the upcoming 38^th National Games. Uttarakhand will host the 38^th National Games. This will give an opportunity to the youth of the state to showcase their talent.
• On the occasion of Khel Mahakumbh, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also inaugurated the newly constructed shooting range at a cost of Rs 31.18 crore for organizing the Shooting Competition of National Games at Maharana Pratap Sports College campus.
• Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that the winning players of Nyaya Panchayat level of the state will also get incentives now. So far, only commendation certificates were given to these players.
• He said that the first prize winner of Nyaya Panchayat level will be given Rs 300, second prize Rs 200 and third prize Rs 150. Apart from this, the incentive amount given to sportspersons at the development block, district and state level has also been increased by 40-50 percent. At the block level, the winning player will now be given Rs 500 instead of Rs 300. At the same time, the second place winner will be given an incentive of Rs 400 instead of 200 and the third place will get Rs 300 instead of Rs 150.
• Similarly, at the district level, the first winner will be given Rs 800 instead of Rs 700, the second will get Rs 600 instead of Rs 500 and the third will get Rs 300 to 400. At the state level, the first player will be given Rs 1,500 instead of Rs 1,000, the second player will get Rs 1,000 instead of Rs 600 and the third player will get Rs 700 instead of Rs 400.
• He informed that so far the amount given to the players for food in sports competitions organized by the Sports and Youth Welfare Department has been increased from Rs 150 to Rs 225.