Though the district is geared up to give 150 ml of milk to each student in government and aided schools, it has been delayed in the absence of a government order.
The plan worked out by the Education Department and the Dakshina Kannada Cooperative Milk Producers Union is to ask the milk producers’ society in different villages to get milk to the school in their vicinity, while those that are far away will get milk powder that is equivalent to the milk required for students.
The State government is yet to issue orders to commence the scheme, which was scheduled to start from July 1.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah recently announced the decision to provide 150 ml milk to every student from class 1 to class 10. This decision was aimed at using the extra milk procured after the government increased in the procurement price by Rs. 4 for farmer. The State government has started giving 40 grams of milk powder to each of the malnourished children aged between six months and six years in anganwadis.
According to K.L. Manjula, Educational Officer of Akshara Dasoha, under which this programme will be implemented, 2.16 lakh children studying in 1,436 government and aided schools will be covered under the scheme. The milk will be provided to children in the morning.
The existing cooking facility in the school will be used for boiling milk, she said. There will be no extra cost for the schools where children are fewer in number. In bigger schools, where number of students is more than 100, additional funds will be required to meet the cost of cooking gas and additional remuneration for cooks. “We have been assured of this additional sum by the higher-ups,” Ms. Manjula said.
DKMUL Managing Director B.V. Satyanarayana said the modalities of taking milk to schools had been worked out by the union and the Education Department. As many as 351 milk producers’ societies will be taking milk to schools in their vicinity. To schools that are far away, the Union will be providing them with milk power at the rate of 18.3 grams (which can be liquefied to 150 ml) for each child. “We are ready to implement it. We are awaiting orders of the government,” Mr. Satyanarayana said.
