NAGAPATTINAM: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday inaugurated the expanded breakfast scheme for primary schoolchildren across the state at the Panchayat Union Middle School in Thirukkuvalai in Nagapattinam. About 17 lakh students in 31,008 state-run primary schools would benefit from the scheme. The fund allotted for the scheme is an investment for the future, the CM said at the launch event.
Stalin also had food with the nursery students of Thirukkuvalai Middle School where his father and former CM M Karunanidhi had studied. The CM expressed happiness about the expanded scheme being rolled out from his ancestral village.
Recalling his interaction with students during a school visit in Chennai last year where they said they had not had breakfast at home, the CM said, “A person needs to have a full stomach and has to eat three times to think and work. Breakfast is crucial. How can students focus on their studies without having their breakfast? I thought students should not be educated without providing them with food. We then initiated the breakfast scheme.”
The CM credited P T Thiyagarayar and his predecessors K Kamaraj, M Karunanidhi, MG Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa for strengthening the midday meal scheme. “Fund spent on such schemes should be called investment,” he said.
Investment would reflect as energy and talent in the future, says CM Stalin
“The investment would reflect as energy and talent that would be profitable for the country in the future,” Stalin said. The five objectives of the scheme are students should come to school without hunger, they should not be affected due to nutrition deficiency, should be free of anaemia, attendance should increase, and the workload of working mothers should decrease, the CM said. The nutritional intake of children in the state is improving through these schemes, Stalin said.
“Gone are the days of Dronachariyas asking the thumb finger of Ekalayvas. We are living in the times of Ekalayvas. Our government is for all sections. Yet, there are those who are obstructing us with NEP and NEET. It is the age where everyone will get everything through Dravidian policies.”
Over 65K students in city to benefit from expansion of breakfast scheme
CHENNAI: After Chief Minister MK Stalin launched the expansion of the breakfast scheme in Nagapattinam, the same was extended to schools in the city. Nearly 66,000 primary students in 396 corporation schools will benefit from the scheme. According to a release from the corporation, the scheme was already being implemented in 38 schools benefitting 5,941 children. Earlier, there were six kitchens, which has been increased to 35.
Youth Welfare and Sports Development Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin launched the scheme at the Chennai Middle School on Triplicane High Road, Health Minister Ma Subramanian at Mathope Chennai Higher Secondary School and HR&CE Minister PK Sekarbabu at Madumaanagar Chennai Middle School. Mayor R Priya, South Chennai MP Thamizhachi Thangapandian, deputy mayor M Magesh Kumar and corporation commissioner J Radhakrishnan were also present.