LAHORE: More than one million students in 7,294 government schools across 13 districts of Punjab will receive milk and biscuits from September under a Rs6.87 billion school meal programme approved by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif.
The Punjab School Education Department will implement the programme during the current financial year. Around 1.028 million students will receive milk three days a week, while milk and biscuits will be provided on the fourth day.
The programme covers Bahawalnagar, Bhakkar, Chiniot, Dera Ghazi Khan, Kot Addu, Layyah, Lodhran, Mianwali, Muzaffargarh, Rahim Yar Khan, Rajanpur, Taunsa and Vehari.
Officials say the programme focuses on districts where poverty and nutritional deficiencies have affected school attendance, learning outcomes and children’s health.
The initiative was launched as a pilot in Dera Ghazi Khan, Rajanpur and Muzaffargarh during the 2023-24 financial year. Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz formally launched the programme in September 2024 at a primary school in Dera Ghazi Khan.
The pilot initially provided more than 400,000 students in about 3,527 schools with a daily 175ml milk pack. Empty packs were collected for recycling, with the proceeds used for school needs.
The programme was later expanded to all 13 districts. By early 2026, it was operating in 8,319 schools, including 4,309 boys’ and 4,010 girls’ schools.
ALSO READ >>>
>>> PML-N’s Iftikhar Gilani becomes 17th AJK PM
Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat said 33.7 million milk packs and 12.2 million biscuit packets had been distributed under the programme. Student enrolment in the covered areas also increased by 28 per cent, with 24,740 additional children joining schools.
More than 200,000 empty milk packs were recycled into furniture, notebooks and pencils, according to officials.
The Provincial Development Working Party had earlier approved a similar scheme estimated at Rs6.93 billion. The latest allocation of Rs6.87 billion continues the programme’s coverage and nutritional support for the new financial year.
