On the New Year-eve, the residents of Jaipur came across posters with a unique message: "Daaru peekar nahin, doodh peekar karo navvarsh ka swagat" (welcome the New Year by sipping milk, not liquor).
Under the drive organised by several NGOs and social organisations, several quintals of milk was offered free of cost in different parts of Jaipur, as these organisations decided to celebrate the New Year as "Doodh Mahotsav" (milk festival).
Under the aegis of Rajasthan Youth Students Association and Indian Asthma Care Society, a camp was organised at the main entrance of Rajasthan University where free of cost milk was supplied to visitors from 6 p.m till 12 midnight.
Around 8,000 litres of milk was distributed to around 40,000 people, said Deepak Vohra, General Manager, Lotus Dairy.
"There is a strong message we want to give to the society through this drive: stop consuming liquor," he said.
The Rajasthan Jaat Mahasabha also organised a similar programme where local residents and passers-by at Kesar Square were offered milk free of cost. Congress leader Pushpendra Bharadwaj with the help of Milk Club of Rajasthan also organised a milk festival in all 13 wards of Sanganer. Here milk was be offered to people from 7 p.m till 12 midnight.
On the same lines, Gayatri Shaktipeeth Vatika with Lotus Dairy also offered free milk at different locations of the city such as JLN Road, Sirsi Road and many others.
The Rajasthan Nurses Association has also announced to distribute hot milk at SMS Hospital on January 1.
Vohra said: "Milk is being served to people by our group for the last 13 years. However, in the last five years, there has been a phenomenal rise in the number of visitors who supported our cause and said no to liquor on the New Year-eve."
--IANS
arc/nir
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