Tamil Nadu free breakfast scheme for all government primary schools; 18 lakh children to benefit

NEW DELHI: In a major announcement, the Tamil Nadu Government today allocated Rs 500 crore for the breakfast scheme for government school students. Finance minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan during his budget speech said that the free breakfast scheme for primary students has led to an increase in attendance

The Tamil Nadu finance minister presented its Budget 2023-24 in the Assembly. Abling the Budget, he said, reform initiatives have led to a reduction in revenue deficit from about Rs 62,000 crore to Rs 30,000 crore.

Fare free travel for women in state-run buses, breakfast scheme for government school students are among the several schemes being implemented.

Also read | Tamil Nadu government’s breakfast scheme leads to attendance rising in 85% schools

The Tamil Nadu free breakfast scheme will be expanded to nearly all government schools; from 1500 to 30,430 schools. The minister also said that the breakfast scheme covering 18 lakh students has increased the attendance between 10-30 percent in primary schools.

The Minister announced setting up of a hi-tech 'global sports city' in Chennai, Rs 5 crore allocation to translate Dr BR Ambedkar's works into Tamil and Rs 25 crore for 'factory skill schools' and Metro rail projects for Coimbatore and Madurai.

“In the upcoming financial year, the government would construct classrooms, laboratories and toilets at a cost of Rs 1,500 crore,” he said.

An analysis by the Delhi-based think-tank, Centre for Policy Research’s Accountability Initiative showed that the central government has released just 52% of the total funds earmarked for PM POSHAN in FY 2022-23. It had released just Rs 5,363.28 crore of the Rs 10,314 crore allocated to the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman Scheme (PM POSHAN) by November 30.