Gandhinagar, July 17 (IANS) ‘Doodh Sanjeevani Yojana’, a public welfare initiative by the Gujarat government to tackle malnutrition in tribal and remote areas received a fresh push on Friday, with state government deciding to extend it in all Integrated Child Developmental Services (ICDS) blocks.
The decision by the Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel-led government is aimed at bringing people from tribal areas, especially the vulnerable sections, into the mainstream of development by bringing them at par, in having access to the government welfare services.
According to the state’s Women and Child Development Department, the Doodh Sanjeevani Yojana will be expanded to the rest of all ICDS blocks in tribal districts and a pilot project for providing high-fat fortified milk is being given the green light for the first time.
As a result of this, more nutritious milk will now reach vast proportion of children, pregnant women, and lactating mothers in the tribal areas.
The Doodh Sanjeevani Yojana was launched on a pilot basis in six tribal districts on December 24, 2009, by the then Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
Under the scheme, beneficiaries are provided with 200 ml of fortified flavored milk.
The scheme, which existed in just six districts, is now operational in 20 districts, with maximum progress made in the last five years.
In 2014, the scheme was expanded to include 106 ICDS units across 14 additional tribal districts and 20 developing talukas.
From 2016 onwards, the cooperative dairy sector was also integrated into the scheme, and state cooperative dairies, including Banas, Amul, Sumul, and Mahi began producing and supplying fortified milk.
This collaboration made the scheme more streamlined and effective.
The decision to launch the scheme in these 53 blocks — funded entirely by the state government — will bring thousands of new beneficiary children and mothers under its ambit and ensure equitable access to nutrition in tribal areas.
Previously, the fortified milk provided contained 1.5 per cent fat. A decision has now been taken to launch a pilot program for supplying higher-fat milk in selected districts.
Under this initiative, milk with three per cent fat content will be supplied in the Narmada, Dahod, and Dang districts, while milk with 4.5 per cent fat content will be provided in the Valsad and Sabarkantha districts. This additional fat content will help better meet the physical growth, energy, and nutritional needs of the children.
The state government has allocated nearly Rs 37.709 crore for this expansion, while a separate sum of Rs 0.3035 crore has been sanctioned for the high-fat milk pilot project. This expenditure will be borne entirely by the state government.
Experts believe that Gujarat government’s ‘Doodh Sanjeevani Yojana’ is not merely a milk distribution scheme but a long-term investment in the health of Gujarat’s future generations.
By expanding it to the remaining ICDS blocks and introducing high-fat milk, the Gujarat government has sent a clear message: it remains steadfastly committed to ensuring that no child’s future is compromised due to a lack of nutrition.
–IANS
mr/khz
