Madras, June 5: The Chief Minister, Mr. K. Karunanidhi said here to-day that all children in the City slums upto 3 years of age would be supplied with milk under the “expanded nutrition programme” by early August. To start with, 12,000 children will be getting milk under the new programme, which was inaugurated by the Chief Minister at a function in Shenoynagar. At present the Centrally aided nutrition programme for urban slums, under implementation in Madras and 18 municipal towns, covered only children upto 3 years of age, who are being supplied with bread. It is now being extended to children upto 6 years of age and to pregnant women of lactating mothers to benefit nearly 2.25 lakh children and 40,000 women in Tamil Nadu. Children in City slums (upto 3 years of age) will get milk in addition to bread. Mr. Karunanidhi said the State Government received Rs. 65 lakhs as aid from the Centre towards the scheme last year and it had been raised to Rs. 1.5 crores this year. The Central Government, he said, had commended the progress achieved by the State in this respect and had promised to give more aid if required. He expressed the Government’s determination to extend the nutrition programme throughout Tamil Nadu and said, while every effort would be made to secure as much Central aid as possible, they would not hesitate to meet the financial commitment from the State’s own resources.
