Ksheera Bhagya launched in Gulbarga, Bidar

Students lining up to receive milk at the launch of Ksheera Bhagya in Bidar on Thursday.


The Ksheera Bhagya scheme, which would provide milk along with the midday meal scheme in government and aided schools and anganwadis, was launched in Gulbarga by zilla panchayat president Sharanappa Patil Telkur here on Thursday.

The scheme would benefit 3,81,627 children in 2,336 such schools, and 1.24 lakh children (between six months and three years of age) and 1,11,751 children (between three and six years of age) in the anganwadi centres in the district.

Hygiene

Speakers present told the agencies responsible for supplying milk powder to ensure cleanliness and hygiene.

Deputy Commissioner N.S. Prasanna Kumar highlighted the importance of boiling potable drinking water before mixing it with the milk powder. The glasses used by the children for drinking milk should also be thoroughly cleaned.

Mr. Telkur said that this scheme would help reduce malnutrition.

Of the children studying in schools in Gulbarga, 3,05,759 study in 2,065 government schools while 75,868 study in 271 aided schools. President of the Gulbarga and Bidar Milk Producers Federation Mallikarjun Biradar said that the federation would supply over 206.07 quintals of milk powder every week to the schools.

Dattatreya Patil Revoor, MLA, presided over the function and lauded the State for introducing the scheme, which he felt would “go a long way in helping malnourished children improve their health profile and reduce drop-out rates.” The MLA stated that the scheme would also help the government overcome the glut in milk production in Karnataka.

‘Make it successful’

Bidar Special Correspondent writes:

The government programme, which will distribute milk powder to children thrice a week, was launched in Bidar on Thursday.

It will benefit over 4.2 lakh children in over 1,800 anganwadis and 1,200 schools in the district. Every one of these children get 150 ml of milk once every two days.

Zilla panchayat president Santoshamma Pundalikappa inaugurated the scheme by distributing milk to children, and urged teachers to maintain standards of hygiene before giving it to children.

Deputy Commissioner P.C. Jaffer directed teachers and cooks to “work hard to make the scheme a success.” He urged teachers to make sure that there were no complaints regarding the scheme. The headmaster would be in charge of the scheme in each school, and oversee the entire distribution process, he said.

The milk union would supply 1 kg packets to the angandwadis and 20 kg packets to the primary and secondary schools.

source:http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/ksheera-bhagya-launched-in-gulbarga-bidar/article4980554.ece