Bengaluru, Feb 22 : Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Thursday that the Karnataka Government has started distributing millet malt for the mental and physical health of 55 lakh schoolchildren studying in government institutions, as good nutrition leads to good education.

CM Siddaramaiah was speaking at the inauguration of the ragi health mix distribution programme held at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru, on Thursday.

'Milk production increased during our government's tenure in 2013. Therefore, the government immediately started the Ksheera Bhagya Scheme to provide milk to schoolchildren five days a week,' CM Siddaramaiah said.

The milk goes to the children through the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) and the money for it is given by the government.

'Thus we decided to help the farmers who supply milk to KMF,' the CM said.

'In addition to this, in the last budget, we started a programme of providing eggs to schoolchildren twice a week. Now, the programme of providing nutritious millet malt has started in order to improve the mental and physical health of children.

'When there is no nutritional deficiency, only then will the children be mentally strong and better in their studies,' CM Siddaramaiah said.

'Children must get quality education. Like the children of the rich, the children of the poor, labourers and Dalits should also get a good education. Because it is children who shape the future of the country and society,' CM Siddaramaiah said.

'Education is not just teaching, reading and writing. A rational education that responds to the problems of society is necessary,' he opined.

'Even highly educated people like doctors and engineers have fallen prey to superstition. Basavadi Sharanas worked hard to build a superstition-less society. It is possible to build a superstition-less society only through intellectual education,' CM Siddaramaiah said.

/IANS