Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Tuesday launched the expanded Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme for students studying in Classes 6 to 8 at a government school in Chennai. The programme was launched at the Chennai Middle School in Gandhi Gramam, Tiruvanmiyur.
As part of the launch, Vijay personally served breakfast to the students. He later sat with them and shared the meal, marking the beginning of the expanded programme in the state.
The scheme was earlier available to younger students and has now been extended to Classes 6 to 8 in government and government-aided schools. The expansion is expected to cover around 15.30 lakh additional students across 15,454 schools in Tamil Nadu.
The main objective of the programme is to ensure that students receive a nutritious breakfast before beginning their school day. The government has said that providing food at school can help children attend classes without hunger and remain focused on their studies.
The state government has allocated an additional ₹217.63 crore for the expansion during the current financial year. This takes the total allocation for the breakfast programme to ₹724 crore.
The government has also instructed officials to ensure that kitchens and food-serving areas remain clean and hygienic. Officials have been asked to make sure that students receive hot, tasty and nutritious meals in the required quantity.
The expanded programme is being implemented through a combination of centralised kitchens and self-help groups, depending on the location of the schools. Preparations and trial runs were conducted before the official launch.
The expansion is intended to provide greater nutritional support to middle-school students and help them begin their school day with a proper meal. Vijay’s participation in the launch highlighted the government’s focus on the implementation of the programme across the state.