Amid reports of milk shortage, activists of a civil rights group have written to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, demanding that milk supply be restored in all government schools and anganwadis across the state. Giving more details, members of Ahara Namma Hakku said that milk supply to schools as per the Ksheera Bhagya Scheme has been irregular since January 2023 and discontinued in several districts, even in Ballari, Bidar and Gadag, where malnutrition cases are high, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.
In their letter, the group said, “Ksheera Bhagya scheme is important not only for a glass of milk but also that children often come hungry to school, and milk is something they consume 15-16 hours after their last night's meal and mid-day meal at school. When such a key scheme has been discontinued, multi-crore projects like Metro Rail and Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway are being inaugurated. The government failed to restore milk powder supply to schools in these districts over the last three months."
Along with this, they have also demanded that incentives be paid to milk farmers that are pending since November 2022 and ensure that all pending dues between the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) and the education, and women and child development departments, are settled. They have also suggested that buffer stocks be kept ready by KMF if there is further shortage.
