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Andhra Pradesh incorporates ragi malt drink into government schools’ menu

More than 37.6 lakh students will benefit from this new addition to the menu of the existing Jagananna Goru Mudda scheme.

ByPTI

Published Mar 21, 2023 | 5:11 PM ⚊UpdatedMar 21, 2023 | 6:08 PM

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. (AndhraPradeshCM/Twitter)

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday, 21 March, incorporated an additional nutrient supplement — a ragi malt drink — into the menu of government school students, at a cost of ₹86 crore.

With this new addition to the menu of the existing Jagananna Goru Mudda scheme, more than 37.6 lakh students studying in as many as 44,392 government and government-aided schools would reap the nutritional benefits of getting iron and calcium through their school meals.

Making the announcement, Reddy said, “These practices are to make the Gorumudda even better. This food provides useful iron and calcium which helps the growth of children.”

According to the chief minister, the state government’s expenditure on the mid-day meal scheme will rise from ₹1,824 crore per annum to ₹1,910 crore, on adding ragi malt to the menu at ₹86 crore.

స్కూలు పిల్లలకోసం గోరుముద్దలో భాగంగా వారంలో ౩ రోజులపాటు రాగిజావ. కార్యక్రమంలో శ్రీ సత్యసాయి ట్రస్టు భాగస్వామ్యం. క్యాంపు కార్యాలయం నుంచి ప్రారంభించిన సీఎం శ్రీ వైయస్‌. జగన్‌. రాగిజావకోసం ఏడాదికి రూ.84 కోట్లు ఖర్చు. గోరుముద్ద ఖర్చు ఏటా రూ.1910 కోట్లకుపైనే. pic.twitter.com/oatEbIMKvC

— CMO Andhra Pradesh (@AndhraPradeshCM) March 21, 2023

Out of the ₹86 crore required, Satya Sai Central Trust chipped in with ₹42 crore.

He said schemes like these are aimed at reducing school dropouts, providing better facilities to schools and increasing the intellectual development of students.

Listing out some of the 15 types of food items distributed to school children, Reddy said boiled eggs are given five days a week, jaggery candied peanut bars (verusenaga pappu acchulu) for three days and now ragi malt for the same number of days.