BBMP drops plan to launch ragi mudde in Indira Canteens

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) efforts to introduce healthy ragi mudde (ragi balls) in Indira Canteens have failed as the ‘Mudde Machines’ brought from CFTRI have failed to meet the demand.

As Indira Canteens complete their first anniversary on August 15, the civic body, which is maintaining the 199 canteens across the city, planned to introduce Karnataka’s authentic food ragi mudde to mark the occasion following public demand.

The CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) in Mysuru had launched the country’s first ragi mudde-making machine in July 2017.

BBMP officials had consulted CFTRI for two prototypes of machines to check the feasibility of introducing the ragi mudde. But the machines were unable to produce the muddes in sufficient numbers.

Speaking to DH, BBMP joint commissioner (Finance) Venkatesh and in-charge of Indira Canteens said, “We had planned to serve ragi balls for lunch and dinner at Indira Canteens from August 15.

We had done a trial with two prototypes of machines from CFTRI which can
make 250 ragi muddes in one hour.

But space and the time consumed by the machines make it unviable for supplying muddes for the 199 canteens.
Hence we shelved the plan for now.”

Muddes figured prominently on the menu of Appaji Canteens, launched by the JD(S) in 2017. Agriculture Minister Krishna Byre Gowda who is spearheading the millet movement also suggested to the Palike to introduce the mudde in the canteen menu.

The Indira Canteen was the pet project of former chief minister Siddaramaiah and was inaugurated by Congress president Rahul Gandhi on August 15, 2017, in the run-up to the Assembly elections. “We have requested CFTRI to raise the capacity of the machines since they produced only 250 ragi balls an hour,” Venkatesh added.