Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin inaugurated a free breakfast scheme for students of educational institutions run by the Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Swami Thirukoil (Lord Murugan Temple) at Palani in Dindigul district, on November 16. The scheme, which will cover students from six educational institutions run by the temple administration, was inaugurated through video-conferencing. The institutions include two schools, one polytechnic college, and three arts and science colleges, including one for women.
An official press release stated that the expenditure will be borne by the temple administration. Nearly 4000 students from these institutions will benefit from the scheme. Students will be served breakfast dishes like idli, ven pongal, rava kichadi, and rava upma, with sambar and chutney, the press release further stated.
Temple administrations across Tamil Nadu run 27 schools and 10 colleges under the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR and CE) Department. A total of 13,740 school students and 13379 college students study in these institutions. The press release states that the government announced the cost-free breakfast scheme for students who are studying in the educational institutions run by the Palani temple in the budget for the HR and CE Department for 2022-23. Besides the Chief Minister, Minister of Charitable Endowments PK Sekar Babu, Minister of Food and Civil Supplies R Sakkarapani, and higher officials from the HR and CE Department were present at the inauguration.
On September 16, CM Stalin had launched a breakfast scheme for government school students of classes 1 to 5, at Athimoolam Corporation Primary School in Simmakkal, Madurai. Stalin had first announced the scheme in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on May 7 this year, on the occasion of completing one year in office. In Tamil, the scheme is named Mudalamaicharin Kalai Unavu Thittam (Chief Minister's Breakfast Scheme).