The Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme, which will provide breakfast to students in grades 1 to 5 in government schools across the state on all working days, is set to begin on September 15.
The scheme is scheduled to be inaugurated in Madurai on September 15 by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. “In its pilot phase, the scheme will be introduced in 1,545 schools across the state from September 16 onwards following the inauguration,” said Shambu Kallolikar, Secretary of Social Welfare and Women Empowerment department.
The Department of Social Welfare and Women Empowerment had asked officials in districts to inventory the facilities available for cooking breakfast, which included central kitchens as well as kitchens attached to the schools that had been chosen, prior to the scheme’s implementation.
Trial runs for scheme implementation have also begun in a few districts. Thiruvallur District Collector Alby John stated that they have been conducting a trial run for the last few days and have received positive feedback from students and teachers.
“We have six schools in the Avadi corporation limits which have been chosen and food will be prepared by a vendor who has been identified, in a central kitchen. Two vehicles will pick up and deliver the food to the schools to ensure that it reaches students on time in the morning,” he said.
Week long Menu
The state government has released a menu that includes upma, khichdi, and Pongal varieties that schools can use to create a five-day menu. Students will be given a sweet – either r ava or s emiya kesari – with their breakfast on Fridays.
The first phase of the scheme will cover 417 schools in municipal corporations, 163 schools in municipalities, 728 schools in village panchayats, and 237 schools in interior villages and hilly areas.
