Flavoured milk to be served in MP anganwadis from July

BHOPAL: Days after Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan turned down the proposal to make eggs part of the anganwadi meals, the state government has now decided to serve flavoured milk to 29 lakh children through 92,000 anganwadis in the state from next month.

"Sweet, flavoured milk will be served three times a week starting from July 1," an official of state public relations department said.

Chouhan, a vegetarian himself, had recently rejected a proposal to introduce eggs as part of anganwadi meals. "Not eggs, but milk will be made available to children and pregnant women at the anganwadi centres," he had told a meeting of BJP workers.

The state government has issued directives to District Collectors, CEOs, Divisional Joint Directors, District Programme Officers, Child Development Project Officer, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and Janpad Panchayat executive officers to making available milk in anganwadis.

"As per the directives, all the necessary arrangements should be made before July 1 for serving milk to anganwadi children thrice a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday," he said.

In April this year, the State Women and Child Development Department principal secretary J N Kansotia had asked officers in Alirajpur, Mandla and Hoshangabad districts to send proposals regarding the introduction of egg curry or boiled eggs in anganwadi meals on experimental basis.

His direction had come after some district officers suggested to him that since eggs are nutritious and protein-rich, they should be given to children at least twice a week to help tackle the problem of malnourishment.

However, chief minsiter Chouhan had turned down the move to serve eggs at anganwadis. He had also chosen to remain mum when his cabinet colleague Kusum Mehdale had urged people to add fish to their children's diet.