The Education Department which received an official order for the supply of 150 ml milk to government school children (from Classes I-X) only on Friday, is likely to ask the Karnataka Milk Federation to supply powdered milk only in sealed cans to ensure quality.
After several rounds of internal meetings, the department has settled on receiving milk powder from the Karnataka Milk Federation instead of fresh milk. “But we want the powder to be sealed and certified. We will also require specifications on how it was sealed and when among other quality details,” said G Kumar Naik, secretary, Primary and Secondary Education.
“After the Bihar tragedy, where 23 children died after eating a mid-day meal, we want to ensure everything is accounted for. The department is looking at powdered milk that is branded and someone needs to take responsibility at various stages,” Naik added.
From August 1, the milk scheme will cover 50,99,880 children from Class I to X in 50,246 government schools across the state.