Lahore: The Punjab government has approved a Rs6.87 billion school meal programme under which more than one million students in 7,294 government schools across 13 districts will receive milk and biscuits from September.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has formally approved the launch of the programme, which will be implemented by the Punjab School Education Department during the current financial year.
Under the initiative, around 1.028 million students will be provided milk on three days a week, while on the fourth day they will receive milk along with biscuits. The programme is aimed at providing nutritional support to schoolchildren, particularly those studying in districts where poverty and nutritional deficiencies can affect school attendance, learning and overall well-being.
The programme will initially cover 7,294 schools in Bahawalnagar, Bhakkar, Chiniot, Dera Ghazi Khan, Kot Addu, Layyah, Lodhran, Mianwali, Muzaffargarh, Rahim Yar Khan, Rajanpur, Taunsa and Vehari.
The initiative represents another phase in the Punjab government’s efforts to expand nutritional support for children enrolled in public schools. The school meal programme was initially introduced on a smaller scale in three districts during the 2023-24 financial year and was subsequently expanded to a 13-district footprint. The same 13 districts are included in the current phase, with the provision of milk and biscuits to continue during the new financial year.
