Mann hopes to emulate TN's breakfast scheme

PUNJAB Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said his state would consider implementing a scheme similar to the Tamil Nadu government's CM's Breakfast Scheme.

- SUBASHINI VIJAYAKUMAR @Chennai

PUNJAB Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said his state would consider implementing a scheme similar to the Tamil Nadu government's CM's Breakfast Scheme. He was speaking at the launch of the scheme's expansion to government-aided schools in urban areas on Tuesday.

"This is a remarkable achievement as the government is taking care of both the education and health of children," Mann said, lauding Stalin for the initiative.

Noting that Punjab is known as the "food bowl of India" due to the huge quantities of wheat and rice it produces, Mann added that the introduction of a similar breakfast scheme would be discussed at their cabinet meeting scheduled on Wednesday.

With this expansion to 2,430 schools in urban areas, the scheme, first launched in September 2022, now covers 20.59 lakh children of classes 1 to 5 at 37,416 government and government-aided schools in the state at a cost of ₹600 crore per year.

Stalin, after launching the expansion, said, "The government is making this investment because of its faith in the talent, intelligence, and ability of our children." Emphasising that the scheme is not viewed as an expenditure but a social investment, he added, "When you study well, progress in life and contribute to TN's prosperity, that will be the true success of this scheme. Our schoolchildren will no longer be dull and fatigued, they will now be energetic, confident and full of joy."