CHENNAI: Unfurling the National Flag on the occasion of the 68th Independence Day on the ramparts of Fort St George on Friday, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa announced that variety meal (kalavai sadham) with masala egg, now given in selected schools on an experimental basis, would be extended to all noon-meal and anganwadi centres in Tamil Nadu.
The measure would cost an additional expenditure of Rs 103.28 crore to the State exchequer. At present, there are 54,439 anganwadi centres with 13,90,976 beneficiaries and 42,619 noon meal centres with 54,62,978 beneficiaries in the State.
Delivering her I-Day address, the Chief Minister said the Nutritious Meal Programme was launched by former Chief Minister M G Ramachandran in 1982 and last year she had upgraded the quality of meal provided to several poor children through this scheme.