The milk served to government and aided school children across the state under Ksheera Bhagya scheme will get a flavour. The state government has decided to provide fortified millet powder to be mixed with the milk.
The official sources from the department of School Education and Literacy said that the government has decided to tie up with the Chikkaballapur-based Sri Satya Sai Annapoorna Trust for supply of fortified millet powder.
“The trust has come forward to provide the powder free of cost. The programme will be launched officially once we enter into a memorandum of understanding,” a source in the department said.
“We are waiting for a few test reports to know the health benefits of the powder. We are yet to decide whether to serve the powder every day or twice or thrice a week” officials said.
The trust had first launched the scheme at the schools in Chikkaballapur district on pilot basis. The haemoglobin level of the children went up after one year and and considering the benefit, the trust submitted a request to the department, seeking extension of the scheme to other districts.
The powder will come in chocolate and almond flavours. The trust representatives told DH that it is for the first time they were using fortified millet in the powder form.
It can be recalled the previous BJP government had also shown interest in expanding the scheme in association with Adamya Chetana Trust. But plan was dropped for logistical and other reasons.