Hon’ble Union Minister of State for Housing & Urban Affairs launches NDDB Foundation for Nutrition’s Giftmilk Programme under CSR of HUDCO in Bilaspur

Hon’ble Union Minister of State for Housing & Urban Affairs launches NDDB Foundation for Nutrition’s Giftmilk Programme under CSR of HUDCO in Bilaspur

30, November 2024, Bilaspur: Shri Tokhan Sahu, Hon’ble Union Minister of State for Housing & Urban Affairs launched NDDB Foundation for Nutrition’s (NFN) Giftmilk Programme under CSR of Housing and Urban Development Corporation Limited (HUDCO) in Bilaspur as Chief Guest. Shri Sushant Shukla, MLA; Shri Sanjay Kulshrestha, Chairman & Managing Director, HUDCO; Shri M Nagaraj, Director (Corporate Planning), HUDCO; Shri Awanish Kumar Sharan, District Collector; Shri Rajiv Sharma, Executive Director, CSR, HUDCO; Dr V Sridhar, Senior General Manager, NDDB; Dr Vivek Gupta, Regional Chief, Raipur, HUDCO and other important dignitaries graced the occasion. The event took place at the Swami Atmanand Government H.S. School Sendri, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh.

HUDCO collaborated with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) Foundation for Nutrition to implement the Giftmilk Programme in three districts of Chhattisgarh - Bilaspur, Rajnandgaon & Mungeli. As part of this initiative, 200 ml of fortified flavoured milk will be provided to 8000 children on all school working days for one year. The aim is to reduce levels of malnutrition among school-going children studying in Government Schools. The Chhattisgarh State Cooperative Dairy Federation – Devbhog will provide the milk for this initiative. The total budget allocated for the programme is Rs. 2.5 crore, which will be funded through the CSR initiatives of HUDCO.

In his address, Shri Tokhan Sahu, Union Minister of State for Housing & Urban Affairs congratulated HUDCO and NDDB for launching such an impactful initiative under CSR programme. He emphasised that addressing malnutrition among children is one of the primary development goals of the Government of India. The distribution of fortified flavoured milk at schools is setting an example in overcoming the issue of under-nutrition among school-going children. He also encouraged children to consume fruits and green vegetables, as these healthy eating habits will contribute to their overall fitness and health. During the event, the Hon'ble Minister distributed flavoured milk & water bottles to the children on stage. Children from Government Primary School Achanakmar, Lormi (Mungeli district) attended the event. The Minister commended NFN for its efforts in creating a positive change in the lives of children in Chhattisgarh.

Dr V Sridhar, Senior General Manager, NDDB introduced the programme to the guests and conveyed best wishes on behalf of Dr Meenesh Shah, Chairman, NDDB & NFN. He emphasised that improving children’s nutritional status not only impacts their health but also their ability to learn and perform well in school, ultimately contributing to the sustainable growth of future generations. NFN’s efforts have focused on providing nutritional support to government schools by supplying milk, as well as raising awareness about its nutritional benefits and promoting healthy dietary practices.

Shri Sanjay Kulshrestha, Chairman and Managing Director, HUDCO stressed the importance of milk in the formative years of school children. He highlighted its role in promoting both physical and cognitive growth in children. He urged the students to consume milk daily, as it will be available at school, in order to maximise the benefits of the programme.