BMC to re-start flavoured milk scheme in schools
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation will re-start distribution of tetra-packed flavoured milk among civic school students. To start from the academic year 2008-09, the scheme will now be optional for students. Launched in November last year, the civic body had discontinued the scheme about two months back after 42 students felt ill consuming the strawberry-flavoured milk. The packs distributed were initially of elaichi flavour, but later they switched to strawberry flavour. However, milk will now be distributed in flavours of chocolate, mango and elaichi. The decision to re-start the scheme was taken on Wednesday at the BMC Standing Committee meeting when the civic administration submitted its joint task force's final report after considering the findings of the the expert committee. The expert committee, which analysed the contents of the tetra-packed milk after the students fell sick in separate cases, found no chemical adulteration or bacterial presence in the samples. Addressing the standing committee, Additional Municipal Commissioner M Sangle said that there is no harm in re-starting the distribution system of flavoured milk. "From March 2008, students from class V to X will be given the milk, while those from class I to IV will get it from June,' he said. Acting on the expert committee report by Dr Sanjay Oak, dean of Nair Hospital, the civic administration has decided to reduce the quantity of milk for students of primary level. "Considering their digestive level, they will be given 125 ml of milk instead of 200 ml,' Sangle said. The BMC has awarded contract for distributing flavoured tetra-packs to Rashtriya Madhyawarti Mazdoor Grahak Sangh who would procure the milk from GK Dairy in Haryana. The dairy will supply 4.5 lakh packets daily. The 200 ml packet will cost of Rs 11. Standing Committee Chairman Ravindra Waikar said that since the quantity of milk in almost half the packs has been reduced by 75 ml (for the pre-primary students), the civic administration should discuss with the contractor about reducing their price. Sangle, however, said that it would not be compulsory for students to drink the milk. "We will also not force children to consume the milk. It will be optional. Only if they want, they will be given the packs,' Sangle said. The standing committee has also asked to create awareness amongst students, parents and teachers to avoid any untoward incident due to flavoured milk consumption, by display of posters on use of tetra-packs and straws.