The Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme rolled out for students of Class I to V in government schools is not a freebie, in fact it is the foremost duty and responsibility of the State government to ensure its children are fed. Such schemes are the face of a government, said Chief Minister M.K. Stalin here on Thursday.
He was speaking at the launch of the novel ‘Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme’ at the Corporation Primary School Aathimoolam II in Simmakal, Madurai.
“While interacting with students recently in a programme at Chennai, I asked a few students why they appeared tired and if they had eaten. They said that they usually don’t eat in the morning, which struck a chord. Many officials and teachers affirmed the same. That spark led to the birth of the free breakfast scheme. Through this scheme, every student shall enter classrooms with their stomachs full,” he stated.
Also Read | Tamil Nadu rolls out ‘Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme’ at 1,545 government primary schools
The schoolchildren sat alongside the Chief Minister and broke their fast with a serving of vegetable rava khichdi, rava kesari and sambar – the menu for Thursdays.
History of the scheme
The significant breakfast scheme has been rolled out after 102 years, when P. Theagaraya Chetty, the then President of the Corporation (Mayor) of the Justice Party approved the proposal to provide tiffin to students of a Corporation School at Thousand Lights, Chennai, said Mr. Stalin while tracing the history of providing food to government school students.
The scheme, in due course, was improved upon by former Chief Minister K. Kamaraj who introduced mid-day meals for government primary schools, followed by former Chief Ministers M. G. Ramachandran, M. Karunanidhi and Jayalalithaa, who extended the programme’s coverage to anganwadis, introduced boiled eggs and included variety meals respectively, he said. A book titled ‘Nootrandu Kanda Kalvi Puratchi,’ on the scheme was also released as part of the event.
Further, he said that ₹12.75 is spent on a child everyday under the scheme. “In my view, money spent on schemes benefitting education and health sectors is beyond critical lenses,” he added.
Mr. Stalin urged authorities to serve the children with utmost care and treat them as their own while he asked students to focus on their academics and to reach higher positions in life. “Education is the only asset that one cannot snatch away from you, hence students must study well without a worry since I am here to back you,” he said. The scheme will be rolled out across the State in 1,545 schools from September 16 in which a little over one lakh students would benefit, stated an official release.
The Chief Minister honoured M. Kamalathal, who sells idlis for ₹1 at her shop at Vadivelampalayam near Coimbatore for her selfless service rendered.
Also Read | Breakfast at Kamalathal’s
Minister for School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, Minister for Social Welfare & Women Empowerment P. Geetha Jeevan, Minister for Public Works E.V. Velu, Minister for Rural Development R. Periakaruppan, Minister for Commercial Taxes and Registration P. Moorthy, Minister for Finance P.T.R. Palanivel Thiagarajan, Member of Parliament Su. Venkatesan, Collector S. Aneesh Sekhar, Mayor P. Indrani Pon Vasanth, Corporation Commissioner Simranjeet Singh Kahlon and others were present.
Meanwhile, at Chennai, commenting on the launch of the free breakfast scheme, AIADMK leader and former Minister for Fisheries D. Jayakumar, said there were several electoral promises such as the provision of ₹ 1,000 per month to women and return to the old pension scheme for the government staff which remained unimplemented.
(with inputs from Chennai)
