Bangalore : The State government is planning to provide milk to school children under Ksheera Bhagya scheme for six days a week from next year, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Tuesday.

Speaking after launching Vidyasiri scheme, he said the government is currently providing 150 ml of milk to each child three days a week. The scheme helps provide much-needed nutrition to the children. He added that the Vidyasiri scheme, which envisages providing a monetary help of Rs 1,500 per month to each of the college students belonging to the backward classes who fail to get admission in government hostels, will be extended to SC/ST students. About 20,000 students will be covered under the scheme this year, he said.

The chief minister said 100 more post-metric hostels for girls belonging to backward classes will be constructed in the current academic year. This is over and above what has been announced in the revised budget for 2013-14, he said.

Siddaramaiah said the government is spending Rs 117 crore for conducting the caste census to ascertain the social, economic and political status of all castes in the State. Backward classes comprise the poor among all castes. People belonging to categories 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B form the backward classes, the chief minister said.

Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya said the government is contemplating extending certain social welfare schemes to the poor in upper castes like Vokkaligas, Brahmins and Vaishyas. “Backward classes do not comprise only certain castes. The underprivileged sections of all castes come under backward classes. The government wants to help to these people,” he said.