30-40 pc hike in attendance after breakfast scheme: Minister

CHENNAI: Udhayanidhi Stalin, Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development, on Friday said at least 30 to 40 per cent increase in students’ attendance has been witnessed after the implementation of breakfast scheme by Chief Minister MK Stalin.

He inaugurated the breakfast expansion scheme at Chennai Middle School in Triplicane. As many as 65,030 more students would be benefitted through the expansion scheme in the city’s corporation schools, he added.

Addressing reporters, the Minister said that in the first phase, 1.50 lakh students from 1,968 schools of Class 1 to 5 were provided breakfast under the scheme. During field inspection, the first thing would be to inspect the breakfast scheme at the corporation schools to ensure that students have benefitted through it and quality check of the food.

“The motto of the scheme is to increase attendance among the school students and provide nutritious food and recently we have seen an increase of 30-40 per cent in attendance. In Tamil Nadu, at least 18.50 lakh students would benefit from the expansion of breakfast scheme and inspection would be carried out frequently at the Corporation Schools,” said Udhayanidhi.

In addition, the school principals will have access to an app to monitor food transportation and quality and can raise complaints if any. It will be addressed immediately. A total of 35 kitchen centers would be functional for the breakfast scheme in the city, also additional vehicles for transporting food to the schools.

Health Minister Ma Subramanian inaugurated the expansion of breakfast scheme at Chennai Girls Higher Secondary School in Manthoppu and he said that the student’s nutrition has increased after the implementation of breakfast scheme. The government has issued the breakfast list from Monday to Friday.

Mayor R Priya, Deputy Mayor M Mahesh Kumar, Corporation Commissioner J Radhakrishnan, councilors, and officials took part.