Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Tuesday launched the expanded Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme for students studying in Classes 6 to 8 in government and government-aided schools. The expansion brings around 15.30 lakh additional students under the state’s free breakfast programme.
Vijay launched the expanded scheme at a government middle school in Gandhi Gramam, Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai. During the programme, he served breakfast to students and also ate with them before visiting classrooms and interacting with the children.
Breakfast Scheme Expanded To Middle School Students
The scheme, which was earlier available to students of Classes 1 to 5, has now been extended to Classes 6, 7 and 8. The latest expansion covers 15,454 government and government-aided schools across Tamil Nadu.
With the additional beneficiaries, the programme will now cover approximately 34.64 lakh students across 44,984 government and aided schools, according to details released by the state government.
The breakfast programme was originally introduced in 2022 for primary school students in government schools. It was subsequently extended to government-aided schools. The Tamil Nadu government later renamed the programme the Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme.
Rs 217.63 Crore Additional Allocation
The state government has allocated an additional Rs 217.63 crore during the current financial year for the expanded programme. With this addition, the overall allocation for the breakfast scheme has increased to Rs 724 crore.
The programme is being implemented through different arrangements depending on the location of the schools. In Chennai, breakfast is being prepared through integrated kitchens serving government and aided schools. Similar centralised kitchen arrangements are being used in other urban areas, while in rural regions, self-help group members are involved in preparing and supplying breakfast at schools.
What Is The Aim Of The Scheme?
The breakfast programme is intended to address nutritional needs among schoolchildren and ensure that students attend school without hunger. The government has also linked the initiative with improving school attendance, learning and reducing the possibility of students dropping out.
The state government has instructed authorities to maintain hygiene at kitchens and serving areas and ensure that students receive hot, nutritious and adequate meals.
The expanded programme marks the extension of the state’s free breakfast initiative from primary schools to middle-school students, increasing its coverage across government and government-aided institutions.
