Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, C. Joseph Vijay, will launch the expanded Perunthalaivar Kamaraj Breakfast Scheme at the Greater Chennai Corporation Middle School in Gandhigram, Thiruvanmiyur, on Tuesday.
Preparations were under way across the state, with workers cooking breakfast in government and government-aided schools ahead of the inauguration.
The expansion will bring students from Classes VI to VIII under the scheme, extending its coverage beyond primary schoolchildren.
The breakfast programme was originally introduced by then Chief Minister M.K. Stalin in 2022 for students of Classes I to V in government schools.
It was aimed at tackling malnutrition among children, improving school attendance and encouraging students to continue their education without dropping out.
The scheme was subsequently extended to government-aided schools. Before the latest expansion, it covered 19.34 lakh students studying in 37,447 government and aided schools across Tamil Nadu.
After the TVK government assumed office, the programme was renamed the Chief Minister Kamaraj Breakfast Scheme. Vijay later announced that it would be extended to Classes VI, VII and VIII, bringing an additional 15.30 lakh students within its ambit.
Following the expansion, the programme will benefit a total of 34.64 lakh students studying in 44,984 government and government-aided schools.
The state government has allocated an additional ₹217.63 crore for implementing the extended scheme. The launch had initially been scheduled for September 17, marking the birth anniversary of social reformer Periyar E.V. Ramasamy.
However, it was postponed as the Chief Minister was in London to attract industrial investments to Tamil Nadu.
The scheme will be implemented across the state from Tuesday, except in Chengalpattu and Tiruppur districts, where by-elections are under way in the Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly constituencies, respectively.
Under the prescribed weekly menu, students will be served upma on Mondays, khichdi on Tuesdays, pongal on Wednesdays and upma again on Thursdays.
A sweet dish will be served on Fridays. School authorities and food preparation workers have been instructed to ensure that meals are cooked hygienically and served on time.
Officials expect the wider coverage to improve nutrition, attendance and learning outcomes among middle-school students, particularly those from economically weaker families.
(IANS)
