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Madhya Pradesh govt sends confusing signals on plan to serve milk in anganwadis
The MP government continued to send confusing signals on Wednesday over whether it would serve eggs or milk to about three million poor children with cabinet minister Kusum Mehdale saying she had no differences with chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan who had opposed serving the non-vegetarian fare.
The MP government continued to send confusing signals on Wednesday over whether it would serve eggs or milk to about three million poor children with cabinet minister Kusum Mehdale saying she had no differences with chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan who had opposed serving the non-vegetarian fare.
Chouhan, a vegetarian, had last month reportedly shot down a fresh proposal to include eggs in the meals served to these children at state-run nurseries (anganwadis) in three tribal-dominated districts.
After a furore, the government had said it would serve hot milk instead.
On the other hand, Mehdale, whose portfolios include food processing and fisheries, had supported serving eggs if the parents of the children had no objection.
“Both chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and I am right. There is no difference of opinion on this issue between us,” she told reporters at a function here.
“It depends (on) whether you are a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian. Those who are non-vegetarian can have eggs if their parents have no objection. And those who are vegetarian can have milk, kheer and so on…”
Mehdale said there was no harm in making eggs a part of the diet of children provided their parents have no problem with it and the production of eggs increases in the state.
“Right now the production of eggs is not enough in our state. But when it increases, we can serve eggs to non-vegetarian students if their parents wish so,” she said.
On Wednesday, HT had reported that on the day when the state government formally had announced that sweet, flavoured milk would be served to about three million children at 92,000 anganwadis in the state thrice a week from July 1, Mehdale had made a strong pitch for serving eggs to non-vegetarian children ‘if their parents had no problem with it’.
Earlier this month in the presence of Chouhan, Mehdale even urged people to increase fish consumption.
Chouhan had then announced that all children in state would get milk thrice a week, which was seen as an effort of the government to ‘substitute milk for eggs’ in the wake of the growing controversy and criticism over the stand of the state.
Govt issues safety norms for distributing milk in anganwadis
The state department of women and child development (DWCD) has issued directives for adopting strict safety measures while distributing hot milk to children in anganwadis from July 1.
Anganwadi workers have been asked to taste the milk before distributing it among the children. The milk will be prepared by self-help groups in rural areas and anganwadi workers in urban areas from the milk powder supplied by the MP Cooperative Dairy Federation.
Egg vs Milk
Chouhan, a vegetarian, had last month reportedly shot down a fresh proposal to include eggs in the meals served to these children at state-run nurseries (anganwadis) in three tribal-dominated districts.
After a furore, the government had said it would serve hot milk instead.
On the other hand, Mehdale, whose portfolios include food processing and fisheries, had supported serving eggs if the parents of the children had no objection.
Mehdale said there was no harm in making eggs a part of the diet of children provided their parents have no problem with it and the production of eggs increases in the state
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