Milk for Rajsthan's government schools and madrasas students in election year

Under the scheme, students of class 1-5 will be served 150 ml of milk while students of 6-8 will be served 200 ml of milk.
Rajasthan CM Vasundhra Raje launching Annpurna doodh yojna at a government school in Jaipur | EPS
Rajasthan CM Vasundhra Raje launching Annpurna doodh yojna at a government school in Jaipur | EPS

JAIPUR: With elections around the corner students of all government schools and madrasas in Rajasthan will start getting milk under mid-day meal scheme. On Monday chief minister Vasundhara Raje kicked off Annapurna Doodh Yojna by personally serving milk to the students of Adarsh senior secondary school at Dahmi Kalan village in Jaipur.

Under this flagship scheme around 62 lakhs students studying in the primary and upper primary in over 65,000 schools and Madrasas will be served milk thrice a week.

"Children should get proper nourishment, this is the worry of every parent but now for the parents of 62 lakhs students across the state studying in government schools and madrasas will not have to worry at all about it," said Vasundhara Raje at the launch of this flagship scheme.

"I am myself a mother and I know, the pleasure a mother feels after seeing her child well nourished and healthy."

Under this scheme, students of class 1-5 will be served 150 ml of milk while students of 6-8 will be served 200 ml of milk.. Teachers and school management committee are given the responsibility to purchase the milk locally from milk cooperative societies and serve it to the school children. In the rural area milk will be purchased at Rs 35/- per kg from Milk cooperative societies and at Rs 40 /-in the cities.

Some crucial questions have, however, surfaced on the proper implementation of this flagship scheme.Teachers of government schools will be involved in the purchase of milk from milk cooperative societies and distribution to the students.

The milk served will be without sugar since no extra budget is allotted for it. Teachers are unwilling to take on this extra duty, especially since milk is a perishable item and its storage and boiling before serving would be a big issue to handle properly.

Milk shall be purchased from cooperative societies in rural area and these societies have a bad track record. The purity of the milk served to children is an issue of concern . Governments must ensure its implementation properly" said Archana Sharma chief media spokesperson of state Congress. Education dept has appointed supervisor officers in every district for proper monitoring, implementation and to ensure quality control but to implement this scheme at such a big canvas successfully shall be challenge.

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