It was on July 27 that Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, MK Stalin, announced that the government school children studying in Classes I to V across Tamil Nadu will be offered free breakfast. This is apart from the nutritious midday meal that it has been providing over the years.

Rs 33.56 crore was already allotted by the state government for implementing the scheme. In the first phase, the scheme will be launched in a few districts and hamlets of Tamil Nadu through the respective local government bodies, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.

A total of 1,14,095 students from 1,545 schools across the state have been identified for the scheme in the first phase. Among them, CCMC has the highest number of beneficiaries for the scheme in the state.

Looking at the numbers
"As far as Coimbatore corporation is concerned, a total of 7,618 students from 62 schools have been identified in the initial phase of the breakfast scheme. Apart from that, around 1,119 students from nine schools in the Mettupalayam municipality and 730 students from three schools in Madukkarai municipality have also been selected for the scheme in the Coimbatore district," said Sridhar, Coimbatore district noon meal programme officer.

He also added, "The selection process was carried out randomly and the scheme will be implemented in other schools in the next phase."

In this situation, the CCMC had floated a tender, inviting bidders for providing breakfast to a total of 7,618 students from 62 schools within the corporation limits through the common kitchen operation services for the next three years. About 150 to 200 grams of one breakfast with 60 ml of vegetable sambar will be provided for students from Monday to Friday.

Explaining the process
Speaking to TNIE, CCMC Deputy Commissioner Dr M Sharmila said that a centralised kitchen will be set up by the contractor at a location from where the prepared food will be transported to five distribution points in the five zones of CCMC, adding that the contractor will bear all the expenses including preparation of the food in the centralised kitchen, transporting the food from the common kitchen to the five distribution centres and then to the schools in mini trucks and finally, serving them to the students.

"We shall look out for volunteers if additional manpower is needed for serving food for the children. While the centralised common kitchen will be set up by the contractor at a location of their choice, the civic body will be providing them with five transit centres in the five zones across the city from where the cooked food will be brought and distributed to the 62 schools. Each transit centre will distribute food to about 14 to 15 schools. Currently, we've fixed the cost at Rs 10 to Rs 12 per head for providing breakfast to the students," she added.