Akankshya Mahapatra 
The Malkangiri district administration launched a flavoured gift milk programme at the remote Silakota Ashram School under Podia block last week. It will address the problem of malnutrition among school children while providing good refreshments and improving their attendance.
The initiative, supported by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) Foundation for Nutrition with CSR assistance of Indian Railway Construction Limited, will be rolled out in the district on a pilot basis for a month. It is expected to benefit around 3,162 students in 21 government schools in Swabhiman Anchal of Chitrakonda and inaccessible pockets of Mathili, Korukonda and Podia blocks.
Collector Vishal Singh said as Malkangiri is an aspirational district and typically deprived of basic necessities, IRCON identified it as one of its intervention areas and decided to provide flavoured milk in government and tribal schools. NDDB then requested the district administration to initiate the programme.
