Meal scheme for students to be upgraded from next academic year, says Minister Geetha Jeevan

CHENNAI: School students benefiting from the nutritious meal programme in the state could expect a further upgrade in food quality from next academic year. The state government has increased the vegetable and condiment advance provided to Nutritious Meal Centres by Rs 61.61 crore.

Announcing this effect after replying to the debate on demand for grants for her department in the State Assembly, State Social Welfare Minister Geetha Jeevan said that daily vegetable and condiment advance provided to 42.71 lakh students would be increased to Rs 2.01 each from Rs 1.79 for students from class I to V and Rs 2.71 from Rs 2.11 each for students from Class VI to X.

The state exchequer would incur an additional Rs 61.61 crore per year owing to the hike, she added.

Aran -- an exclusive home for transgender people would be constructed in Chennai and Madurai at Rs 64 lakh.

Trans people could stay from three weeks to three years at such homes, where industrial training, entertainment and support services, besides lodging, would be provided.

About 20 conferences would be held at Rs 1 crore with the participation of representatives from government departments, NGOs and experts on the laws and schemes available and measures to be taken to prevent crimes against women and children.

Minister Geetha also announced the production of awareness short films and books at Rs 1 crore to prevent crimes against women and children.

Apps would be developed and training provided to the department officers to improve learning efficiency and monitor children with developmental delays at Rs 2 crore. Toll-free helpline and IVRS facilities would be developed at Rs 1.50 crore to facilitate the implementation of ICDS.

SOCIAL BYTES

Rs 9.18 crore for digitisation of ICDS offices by providing laptops, desktop computers and accessories

Rs 1.53 crore for a new ICDS office each at Srimushnam in Cuddalore, Yeriyur and Kadathur in Dharmapuri

Rs 1.50 crore new management division to be set up to remove the hurdles in Pocso cases and monitor children in institutional care, and children returning home after institutional care

600 diff-abled persons to get battery-operated wheelchairs. Such wheelchairs are already provided to tetraplegic/quadriplegic differently-abled people

Rs 5,000 marriage assistance to sons/daughters of members of the diff-abled welfare board. It is hiked from Rs 2,000

2,000 diff-abled to get motorised sewing machines