Jakarta, May 15 -- Deputy Minister of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions, Ahmad Riza Patria, has estimated that the Red and White Village Cooperatives and Free Nutritious Meals programs could boost rural economic growth by 6-7 times.

"These two programs alone will be able to increase village economic growth by no less than 6 to 7 times," he said, according to a statement received in Jakarta on Thursday.

With good economic growth, the status of a village can also change to an independent village, he added while attending the Village Development Festival and the 1,000 Tenong Parade in Banjarnegara district, Central Java, on Wednesday.

Patria said that the free meals program is not only aimed at improving the nutritional st...