Nagapattinam (TN): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Okay Stalin launched right here on Friday the growth of the state authorities’s breakfast scheme for main college youngsters throughout the State. With out naming the BJP-led union authorities, he slammed it for ‘betrayal’ over the Nationwide Schooling Coverage and NEET. With the growth, about 17 lakh college students in all of the 31,008 state-run main faculties could be benefited. When Stalin inaugurated the initiative final yr, 1.14 lakh college students in Lessons 1 to five finding out in 1,545 authorities main faculties had been coated underneath the scheme.
After serving meals to youngsters on the Panchayat Union Center College in Tirukkuvalai, marking the inauguration of the growth of the scheme, Stalin stated the plan is launched within the main college the place former chief minister, the late M Karunanidhi studied and the day is a golden day.
“Although a number of welfare schemes have been applied after I took over as chief minister, this breakfast scheme provides me a satisfaction,” he stated and quoted a verse from Tamil epic Manimekalai which meant giving meals is equal to giving life. .
“The Dravidian mannequin regime is working as a life-giving authorities.”.
Reformist chief Periyar E V Ramasamy, Dravidian icons C N Annadurai and Karunanidhi had stated nothing -be it poverty or caste- must be an impediment to entry training. “I’m following their footsteps and fulfilling their desires.” Stalin stated the DMK regime is guided by the perfect of social justice taking all types of information to all communities in contrast to the Guru Dronacharya–Ekalavya episode of Mahabaratha.
“Nonetheless there are some betrayal gurus who’re inserting barrier partitions within the title of Nationwide Schooling Coverage and NEET,” Stalin stated..
The Chief Minister asserted that “that is the time of Ekalavya and never Dronacharya, everybody will get every little thing, that is the time of Dravidian ideology reigning supreme.” .
In Chennai, his son and cupboard minister Udhayanidhi Stalin launched the scheme’s growth. Elected representatives belonging to the ruling DMK, allies together with Congress inaugurated the scheme of their constituencies..
Tracing the origin and upgradation of the free meal scheme in faculties in Tamil Nadu, the CM stated Thiagarayar, chief of Justice Celebration, the dad or mum outfit of the Dravidian motion launched the mid-day meal plan in 1922 in a single college, the Chennai’s Thousand Lights Company College.
In 1955, former chief minister Okay Kamaraj launched the full-fledged scheme and the DMK regime got here up with extra vitamin plan –by offering “child bread”– and upgraded it in 1971 throughout Karunanidhi’s tenure as CM.
In 1975, Karunanidhi applied the Built-in Vitamin Scheme and it was additional expanded by late Chief Minister M G Ramachandran throughout his tenure (1977-87).
In 1989, Karunanidhi supplied egg to youngsters and later banana, boiled pulseslentilspotatoes had been served to college students who didn’t desire egg. Candy pongal was additionally supplied on the delivery anniversaries of leaders. Throughout late J Jayallithaa’s regime additional ‘selection rice’ was added.
“All these schemes had been mid-day meal schemes, proper from the Justice Celebration’s regime that started in 1921 and until 2021 (AIADMK authorities until April that yr).”.
Stalin stated the breakfast scheme was applied by him after his interplay with college students of a authorities women college in Chennai, the place many had not taken meals earlier than attending lessons.
“Although officers cited monetary burden, I informed them that there can’t be a extra vital factor than this and directed them to implement the breakfast scheme.” .
Additionally, a examine was performed which revealed anemia amongst many college students and therefore the breakfast scheme was applied with care.
“I want to point out the fund allocation for the breakfast scheme as funding, which can be worthwhile to the nation within the type of expertise, talent and talent.”.
5 goals of the scheme are to make sure youngsters attend college with out starvation, see that there isn’t a vitamin deficiency, no anemia, elevated attendance and decreasing the burden of working girls..
“Our objective is to see that every one the 5 goals are fulfilled. We are going to obtain our objective. There is no such thing as a doubt. The long run Tamil society is ready to be benefited.” He additionally referred to a state initiative to deal with vitamin deficiency amongst youngsters under six years of age and underscored that about 62,000 youngsters out of 92,000 witnessed important enchancment following provision of nutritious meals objects. The federal government is for all these people who find themselves helpless.
The CM requested officers and workers concerned in meals preparation and serving it to youngsters to implement the scheme with care and affection. He urged college students to focus on research.
The Chief Minister joined the kids for breakfast and interacted with them. In his handle, Stalin listed welfare schemes like fare-free journey for ladies in authorities city buses, Rs 1,000 help to woman college students and the Rs 1,000 fundamental earnings scheme for ladies, set to be launched on September 15.
Stalin had earlier stated order had been issued on June 7, 2023 to increase the breakfast scheme to all of the 31,008 authorities main faculties, throughout city and rural Tamil Nadu, aimed toward benefiting 15.75 lakh main college students.
The federal government has launched into growth contemplating the wonderful consequence witnessed within the preliminary section.
Stalin had days in the past invited elected representatives to launch the plan’s extension in a authorities main college of their respective constituencies.
The DMK has all alongside been opposing NEET and NEP sustaining that it’s towards social justice, state autonomy and poor and rural college students. The take a look at and coverage went towards the pursuits of these belonging to the oppressed and backward sections as nicely.
In his Independence Day handle, the CM had introduced the free breakfast scheme’s growth. On September 15, 2022, Stalin launched the breakfast scheme’s preliminary section in Madurai.
Tirukkuvalai in Nagappatinam district, about 23 km from Tiruvarur, is the native place of Karunanidhi.
