TEHRAN — On Wednesday, October 7, the Education Ministry started handing out free milk at schools nationwide, Fars reported.

The budget required for the school milk scheme amounts to 6000 billion rials (about 20 million dollars) that 4500 billion rials ($15 million) of which is provided by revenues gained from the subsidy reform plan and the rest by the Education Ministry, Mohammad Bathaei, a ministry official, explained on Wednesday.

September 23, the begging of the school year in Iran, milk was distributed symbolically, but it officially kicked off on October 7, Bathaei said.

MQ/PA