Tamil Nadu chief minister C Joseph Vijay on Tuesday launched an expanded school breakfast scheme, even as the Opposition Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) attacked the government over the search of schoolbags of students attending the launch event in Chennai.
The government renamed the flagship scheme the ‘Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme’ after Congress stalwart K Kamaraj. It was expanded to cover students in urban areas, including corporations, municipalities and town panchayats. “Were they looking for the efficiency of the TVK [Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam] government? Even if they really search for it, they will not be able to find it,” he wrote on social media and shared the video of the search. “What cruelty this is.
It was initially launched for 114,095 students studying in Classes 1 to 5 in government primary schools. In June, Vijay directed that the scheme be extended to students in Classes 6 to 8. The scheme now aims to benefit 1.53 million additional students across 15,454 government and government-aided schools DMK spokesperson Saravanan Annadurai asked what the police were searching for. The government has earmarked ₹ 217.63 crore in the current financial year for the scheme and raised the overall outlay for it to ₹ 724 crore. Earlier reporting noted: Pongal, sambar and sweet: CM Vijay launches breakfast scheme for Classes 6-8 Serving pongal, sambar and sweet at the launch, chief minister also had breakfast with the students. Earlier reporting noted: CHENNAI: It was all smiles for students of classes 6-8 at Gandhi Gramam Middle School on Tuesday as chief minister C Joseph Vijay kick-started the Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast scheme.
The government said the expanded scheme strengthens the foundation of school education and would serve as major support for students’ educational journey and social progress.
Earlier reporting noted: Serving pongal, sambar and sweet at the launch, chief minister also had breakfast with the students.
