Chennai: Chief Minister Vijay launched the expansion of the Kamarajar breakfast scheme to classes 6 to 8 in Tamil Nadu government schools. Later, he sat on the floor with the students and ate with them.
The Chief Minister’s breakfast scheme was launched on September 15, 2022, with the aim of providing breakfast to children studying in classes 1 to 5 in Tamil Nadu government schools. The scheme was subsequently expanded to government-aided schools. Under this, one type of food is provided every day, such as kichadi or pongal. Currently, breakfast is being provided to 19.34 lakh children studying in 37,447 government and government-aided schools across the state.
The newly elected TVK government renamed the breakfast scheme as the Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme. It also announced that the scheme would be expanded to classes 6 through 8. It was stated that this would additionally benefit 15.30 lakh students studying in 7,537 government and government-aided schools across Tamil Nadu. For this, an additional Rs. 217 crore was allocated in the current financial year.
Accordingly, the inauguration ceremony for the expansion of the breakfast scheme was held yesterday at a government middle school in Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai. Chief Minister Vijay launched the scheme.
Chief Minister Vijay served sakkarai pongal to the students. He then sat on the floor among the students and ate with them. Sakkarai pongal, ven pongal, and sambar were served. Before starting to eat, Vijay told the students to begin eating. At that moment, when student Dhanashree, who was sitting next to him, said that they should pray before eating, Chief Minister Vijay replied, “You sing.”
Immediately, the students recited the Thirukkural, “பகுத்துண்டு பல்லுயிர் ஓம்புதல் நூலோர் தொகுத்தவற்றுள் எல்லாந் தலை”. Then, after asking the students whether he could eat, Principal Vijay ate. He then went on to personally visit and inspect the students who were eating in other classrooms at the school. At that time, when one student asked for water, the principal gave him water with his own hand and then sat beside him and spoke for a while.
After that, he left the school at 9 a.m. Chief Minister Vijay spent about 25 minutes on the school campus. Earlier, in view of Chief Minister Vijay’s visit, teachers and students who came to the school were allowed in only after their bags were thoroughly checked for security reasons.
At the Chennai middle school, 199 students studying in classes 1 to 5 had already been benefiting, and now an additional 127 students studying in classes 6 to 8 will benefit. Meanwhile, except for the Dharapuram and Madurantakam constituencies where by-elections are being held, the scheme came into effect in all other districts from yesterday.
In total, about 34.64 lakh students studying from Class 1 to Class 8 in 44,984 government and government-aided schools will benefit. For this, a total of Rs. 724 crore has been allocated.
Ministers N. Anand, Aadhav Arjuna, Rajmohan, K. Jagadeeswari, R. Kumar, Chief Secretary M. Saikumar, and officials participated in the event.
The little child’s wish: Earlier, the public and young people had waited in a long queue to see the Chief Minister. At that time, a child in the crowd told Minister Anand that it wanted to see Uncle Vijay. In response, Minister Anand told the child that Uncle Vijay would see them and advised the child to study well.
