PMK warns Stalin govt against closing down of noon meal centres

CHENNAI: The Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) has warned the state government against shutting down of noon meal centres that provide food to the school students.

PMK state president Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss in a statement said that there was information on the state government planning to shut down 28,000 noon meal centres. It is to be noted that there are 43,190 noon meal centres in the state.

A whopping 46 lakh students of Tamil Nadu schools are benefitted from the noon meal scheme in the state.

The PMK leader said that a directive from the joint director of Social Welfare Department asking both the urban and local areas to submit data on the number of government buildings in which one or more noon meal centres were functioning and those that were located within 3 km radius of another noon meal centre.

Anbumani Ramadoss called upon the government not to shut down the noon meal scheme after it was getting appreciation for opening 1,545 free breakfast centres in schools of the state.

However, Tamil Nadu social welfare minister Geetha Jeevan in a statement said that there were no plans for the government to reduce the number of noon meal centres. She said that the state government has no idea to reduce either the number of noon meal centres or the number of workers there.

The Minister also said that the Chief Minister, MK Stalin was directly controlling and monitoring the free breakfast scheme for the school students. The minister said that the government was planning to expand the free breakfast scheme and that there was no possibility of shutting down the centres.