Siddesh, class 5 student who misses his milk at home, was happy to lay his hand on a glass of milk in his school. “I cannot drink milk at home as my parents cannot bring it (before I leave). I do not mind drinking it in the school.”Siddesh was among the 200 students of the Government Model Higher Primary School in Gandhinagar waiting to receive a glass full of milk.
The district administration launched the Ksheera Bhagya scheme of free distribution of milk for students at the school. Under the scheme, schools will get milk powder at the rate of 18 grams per child to be converted into milk. This will reach 2.05 lakh children in schools and 88,123 children in Anganwadis in Dakshina Kannada.
The milk was prepared by the Akshaya Patra Foundation. Each student was also given a piece of Nandini Bite sweets by the Dakshina Kannada Cooperative Milk Producers Union (DKMUL).
Environment Minister B. Ramanath Rai said he was glad to launch the scheme that helps in fighting malnutrition.
The DKMUL Chairman Raviraj Hegde said milk was a complete food that has nutrients necessary for child’s growth. The union has ensured that the milk powder has been provided to 80 per cent of the schools in the district.
In the next two days milk powder will reach all the schools.
