In a first-of-its-kind initiative, about 20,000 children studying in government schools in Mahabubnagar Assembly constituency represented by Minister for Excise, Culture and Sports V. Srinivas Goud are being provided nutritious breakfast as part of the “swasthya ahara” scheme launched on Saturday.
The breakfast is being provided by Hare Krishna Movement Charitable Trust with the help of ₹6 crore donation from the Aurobindo Pharma Foundation. The centralised kitchen to prepare breakfast for 20,000 children has been established by the Hare Krishna Trust and was inaugurated at Kodur in Mahabubnagar district on Saturday.
The Minister complimented the Hare Krishna Trust for providing quality and healthy food to the poor, attendants of patients in hospitals, and students.
“Before the formation of Telangana State, the combined Mahabubnagar district had problems all around, including severe scarcity of drinking water and electricity. Children from poor families, particularly students, also faced dearth of food at times and some of them attended school on an empty stomach. Even those staying in hostels would stay hungry many a time as the poor quality food served there was not palatable,” Mr Goud recollected.
However, after formation of Telangana, the government was supplyin “sanna biyyam” (fine quality rice) to hostels and mid-day meal scheme in schools. After understanding that many children in his constituency were attending schools without having breakfast, the “swasthya ahara” initiative was taken up with the help of Aurobindo Pharma Foundation and Hare Krishna Trust, he added.
The Minister wished that Hare Krishna Trust takes up such healthy breakfast programme for children studying in government schools across the State. He offered cooperation to both Hare Krishna Trust and Aurobindo Pharma Foundation for extending their activities further.
Director of Aurobindo Pharma Foundation M. Madanmohan Reddy said they were also supporting provision of food to 50,000 at Narsinigi and to another 35,000 in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh with ₹12 crore. He has requested industrialists to spare at least 2% of their income for social service.
Satya Gaura Chandra Dasa of Hare Krishna Trust said they had launched free food programme in 2013 and it was for the first time, they were providing breakfast to government schoolchildren.
