BENGALURU: Children studying in state government schools will soon be provided flavoured milk under the Ksheera Bhagya scheme after Dasara vacations.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has directed the Education Department to introduce flavoured milk and also to extend the scheme to five days a week as against the existing scheme of providing milk on alternate days.
Under the Ksheera Bhagya scheme, students of government and aided schools from Classes 1 to 10 are being given milk as part of the mid-day meal project.
However, following complaints from children on various occasions about plain milk being served at schools, the Chief Minister directed the officials to provide flavoured milk. Confirming this to Express, a senior official from the Chief Minister’s office said, “On many occasions, schoolchildren have approached the CM and complained that they cannot consume plain milk every day. The CM then decided to go in for flavoured milk.”
Officials of the mid-day meal project, however, are yet to receive an official communication. Mid-day meal project director Bellashetty told Express, “There is an oral instruction but no official communication has been received.”
Currently, 18 grams of whole milk powder is being converted into 150 grams of hot milk and served to children. ISCKON’s Akshaya Patra foundation is the only agency that is providing flavoured milk.
Roopa Deepthi, a clinical dietitian at Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, says, “Children prefer flavoured milk over normal milk. The chance of adulteration in falvoured milk is also less. Moreover, the issue of underweight children can be addressed by introducing flavoured milk.”
Karnataka Milk Federation chairman P Nagaraju told Express, “KMF is capable of supplying milk for five days a week and is all set to introduce flavoured milk in flexi packs which can be stored for 30-90 days. Currently, we are serving 7.5 lakh litres of milk a day and are capable of supplying more.”