The Gujarat government, under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, has decided to expand the ‘Doodh Sanjeevani Yojana’ initiative to all Integrated Child Developmental Services (ICDS) blocks. This move aims to integrate tribal communities, particularly vulnerable groups, into the development mainstream by providing them with government welfare services. The scheme will now cover all ICDS blocks in tribal districts, with a new pilot project approved to supply high-fat fortified milk for the first time.
The expansion of the Doodh Sanjeevani Yojana will ensure a greater number of children, pregnant women, and lactating mothers in tribal areas receive more nutritious milk. Initially launched on a trial basis in six tribal districts in 2009 by then Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the scheme has since expanded to 20 districts, showing significant progress over the years. The initiative has evolved to include 106 ICDS units across 14 additional tribal districts and 20 developing talukas, with the integration of cooperative dairy sectors like Banas, Amul, Sumul, and Mahi for fortified milk production and supply.
The recent decision to extend the scheme to 53 blocks, solely funded by the state government, will bring in more beneficiaries and ensure equal access to nutrition in tribal regions. Notably, a pilot program will introduce higher-fat milk in selected districts to better cater to children’s growth and nutritional requirements. The state government has allocated around Rs 37.709 crore for this expansion and an additional sum of Rs 0.3035 crore for the high-fat milk pilot project, emphasizing its commitment to the well-being of future generations in Gujarat.
