Today, July 15, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin launched the expansion of the breakfast scheme for primary school children to state-aided private schools in rural regions. Inaugurating the scheme at a school in Tiruvallur district, Stalin sat alongside the children, served them food and also ate with them. Later, he interacted with children, as stated in a report by PTI.
The scheme's expansion also marks the birth anniversary of late Chief Minister K Kamaraj, which is observed as Kalvi Valarchi Naal, (Education Development Day) by the state government.
Before launching the scheme, Stalin tasted the food to be served to children, to check its quality and paid floral tributes to Kamaraj. The move will benefit 2,23,536 children in 3,995 government-aided primary schools across the state, the government said.
Addressing the occasion, Stalin said in total, including children (Classes I to V) studying in government-aided primary schools, over 20.73 lakh children every day eat nutritious and delicious breakfast meals.Quoting from Tamil literature, he said saint Vallalar and savant Avvayar had spoken on the importance of ensuring food for people and removing hunger, and that the goal applies to the government too.
"When officials discussed the fund allocation for the breakfast scheme, I asked them to refer to it as an investment in nurturing future generations. The breakfast scheme reduces the economic burden on parents, gives self-confidence to students, increases student attendance and reduces the dropout rate in schools. There are many benefits from the breakfast scheme," he said.
The people and beneficiaries say that the scheme is useful not only for the poor but also for middle-class families where both parents work, PTI reported.
