T.N. govt. renames CM Breakfast Scheme after Kamaraj

The Tamil Nadu government has issued an order renaming the Prime Minister’s Breakfast Program after former Chief Minister K. Kamaraj. The program will henceforth be known as Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Programme.

Breakfast Scheme for students from Class I to V in government and government-aided schools was introduced during the previous DMK regime. After the TVK-led government came to power, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay announced that the scheme would be implemented in Phase VI of government and government-aided schools. From Class VIII. He directed that it be expanded to include students up to grade level.

A Government Order to this effect was issued by the Ministry of Social Welfare and Women’s Empowerment on July 15, Kamaraj’s birth anniversary, and was circulated on Wednesday.

Currently, 19,34,230 students studying in Classes I to V in 37,447 government and government-aided schools are benefiting from the programme. The expanded program is available in Phase VI in 15,454 government and government-aided schools across the State. to VIII. It will cover 15,14,274 students studying in classrooms. This includes 8,787 schools where the scheme has already been implemented in Classes I to V and 6,667 schools in Class VI and above.

The expanded scheme is estimated to lead to additional expenditure of ₹343.55 crore. The state government has also sanctioned ₹217.63 crore for the current financial year for the expanded component of the scheme.

The Expanded Breakfast Program will be implemented from September 17, the birth anniversary of social reformer Periyar EV Ramasamy.