NDDB brings states on board to supply flavoured milk to school students

Milk pouches would be supplied by various state federations to schools on actual cost basis, while the respective state governments would provide the required funds under the various social sector schemes

Written by Sandip Das

New Delhi

March 16, 2016 00:08 IST

In a bid to deal with nutritional deficiency amongst kids in rural areas, the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has roped in 15-odd state federations for supplying each school going students with a sachet of flavoured milk daily across the country

According to T Nanda Kumar, chairman, NDDB, the milk pouches (200 ml) would be supplied by various state federations to schools especially rural areas on actual cost basis while the respective state government would provide the required funds under the various social sector schemes. Besides, NDDB is seeking CSR funds allocated by the government owned enterprises to carry out milk distribution to rural students.

“Many of the state governments have shown interests in our proposals to distribute milk to students in the schools,” Kumar told FE. He said that most of the country’s under-nourished population live in the rural and backward areas and the flavoured milk distributed to students in the schools would provide additional nutrition besides promoting dairy in the region.

“Having creating a large milk infrastructure in the country through setting up state federations, milk unions and village dairy cooperatives, we decided to set out on a new initiative that will aim to address nutritional issues among children,” Kumar said. NDDB and Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF or Amul) are collaborating in the project.

Under the ‘Gift Milk’ scheme, recently registered NDDB foundation for Nutrition (NFN) aims at expanding the programme across the country. At present, the foundation is doing pilots for distributing flavoured milk at various schools in Ranga Reddy district of Telangana and Delhi. “We would give preference to schools in poorer areas of the country. The program will provide a transparent electronic platform to connect people who want to participate as donors in the initiative,” he noted.

The Centre funds the Midday Meal Scheme which helps states provides nutritious meal to school children in primary and upper primary government and government-aided education centres.

This article was first uploaded on March sixteen, twenty sixteen, at eight minutes past twelve in the am.