The Centre has advised Odisha to include milk in the Midday Meal (MDM) scheme in the Anganwadi Centres and schools.
Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said keeping in view the interest of the milk producers of the State, the Union Agriculture Ministry under the Dairy Entrepreneurship Development Scheme will produce 25 per cent subsidy and 33.33 per cent subsidy on loans to the general and SC and ST milk producers respectively. He said Union Agriculture Minister Radhamohan Singh has informed about the scheme in response to letter by Pradhan over the various problems faced by the milk farmers and the demands of their union.
Already, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh have included milk in the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and MDM scheme, said Pradhan, hoping that if Odisha where malnutrition death rate is alarming, the inclusion of milk in the MDM in the schemes would help tackle the scourge of malnutrition, besides MMR and IMR.