Rajasthan students to get milk under mid-day meal scheme

Now, students of government’s primary and upper primary school will be served milk under the mid-day meal scheme.

Chief minister Vasundhara Raje will launch ‘Annapurna Doodh Yojana’ on July 2 by offering a glass of milk to a student at Rajasthan Adarsh Senior Secondary School at Dahmi Kalan near Jaipur at 10am, according to the school education and language department.

Special parents-teachers meeting will be organised at each school on the day, said Vasudev Devnani, the minister of state for education. Devnani will preside over the inaugural function and home minister Gulab Chand Kataria will be the guest of honour on the occasion.

Devnani said the centre had issued an advisory in January this year asking states to include milk in the mid-day meal scheme to tackle high level of malnourishment in the country. During her budget speech, Raje had also mentioned that milk will be included in the mid-day meal scheme.

He said milk is being introduced as supplement nutrition to students to build them strong and healthy. “Children studying in primary (class I to V) and upper primary (class VI to VIII) schools will be given milk thrice a week under the scheme,” he added.

He said Annapurna Doodh Yojana week will be organised at each school from July 2 to 9. Block primary education officer has been appointed as the nodal officer at the block level, he said, adding that the milk will be procured from the registered milk cooperative societies at the block level.

Jaipur member of parliament Ramcharan Bohra, parliamentary secretary Kailash Verma and Zila Pramukh Mool Chand Meena will also be present at the inaugural ceremony.