Rajasthan’s Pannadhay Bal Gopal Yojana, which provides milk to government-school students, is facing a major supply crisis, with the state recording a 58% shortfall in milk powder supplies during a recent three-month period.
The scheme is intended to provide hot milk to more than 6.9 million children across around 65,000 government schools in Rajasthan. However, internal Education Department data reportedly shows that only 1,573.81 metric tonnes of skimmed milk powder were supplied against a requirement of 3,756.43 metric tonnes, covering just 41.9% of the assessed demand.
17 districts reportedly received no doorstep deliveries
The shortage has affected several parts of the state. At least 17 of Rajasthan’s 41 educational districts reportedly recorded zero doorstep deliveries during the period under review.
Major districts including Alwar, Bharatpur, Udaipur, Bikaner and Kota reportedly experienced a complete stoppage of milk distribution, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the programme’s procurement and distribution system.
The disruption has been linked to problems involving procurement, payments, transportation and monitoring. Although allocations were reportedly approved months earlier, the supply chain did not operate smoothly, while pending payments to dairy federations further complicated procurement and distribution.
Government milk powder allegedly diverted to commercial market
The supply shortage has also raised concerns about the alleged diversion of milk powder intended for schoolchildren.
In Jaipur district’s Chithwadi village, police reportedly intercepted a vehicle carrying approximately 3,000 kg of government-supplied milk powder. The bags were marked as being meant for school supply and not for commercial sale.
The powder was allegedly being transported for use by commercial mawa (khoya) manufacturers. Following the seizure, the Rajasthan Cooperative Dairy Federation (RCDF) filed a police complaint and an FIR was registered.
Investigators also reportedly found discrepancies in school attendance records, with allegations that student numbers and consumption figures were manipulated to facilitate the diversion of milk powder.
Expired milk powder raises food-safety concerns
The disruption has created another challenge for schools: the safety of existing milk powder stocks.
Some of the stock reportedly seized during the investigation was found to be expired. With fresh supplies delayed, schools have been left dependent on older stocks, prompting the Education Department to instruct officials to check manufacturing and expiry dates before preparing milk for students.
Rajesh Yadav, Additional Chief Secretary of Education, Rajasthan, said authorities had ordered that expired products must not be served to children and that strict action would be taken where discrepancies in stock could not be adequately explained.
The state government has also begun auditing available stocks to determine the extent of possible diversion and identify gaps in the supply chain.
Supply chain under scrutiny
Under the Pannadhay Bal Gopal Yojana, the RCDF supplies milk powder, produced by processing surplus milk. Schools then use the powder to prepare milk by mixing it with warm water before serving it to students.
The reported supply deficit indicates problems at several stages of this chain, from procurement and payments to transportation, stock management and monitoring at the school level.
The allegations have also triggered political criticism, with former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot accusing the state government of allowing a welfare programme to deteriorate and calling for a high-level investigation into the alleged diversion of supplies.
Nutrition concerns add urgency
The disruption comes at a time when Rajasthan continues to face significant nutritional challenges among children.
According to data cited in the report from the state’s Sustainable Development Goals dashboard and the National Family Health Survey-6 (2023-24), 33.3% of children under five are underweight, while 29.6% of five-year-olds are stunted.
Milk alone cannot address childhood malnutrition, but for a government programme designed to provide children with an additional nutritional source, a prolonged supply failure could have wider implications.
The immediate challenge for Rajasthan is therefore not only to restore regular milk supplies but also to establish where the breakdown occurred, determine whether government stocks were systematically diverted and ensure that products reaching schools meet food-safety requirements.
The Pannadhay Bal Gopal Yojana now faces a critical test of procurement efficiency, supply-chain monitoring and accountability to ensure that milk intended for schoolchildren reaches them safely and consistently.
