Without quality improvement, breakfast scheme expansion will yield little benefit: TN BJP chief

Chennai, Aug 26 (IANS) Tamil Nadu BJP president Nainar Nagenthiran on Tuesday criticised the state government's expansion of the breakfast scheme to government-aided schools in urban areas, stating that without "improving" quality, the initiative would yield little benefit.

In a statement, Nagenthiran congratulated Chief Minister M.K. Stalin for extending the scheme, which is part of the National Education Policy (NEP), to a wider student base.

However, he stressed that the government should focus on addressing the "lapses" in implementation rather than merely enlarging the programme.

Nagenthiran pointed out recent incidents where poor-quality food had been served under the scheme, including cases where a lizard was found in the breakfast provided at Tarapuram Government School and at the Poonayiruppu Government Primary School in Tiruvarur.

"These are only a few examples. If one were to list all the irregularities in the scheme, even the Great Wall of China would not be enough to accommodate them," he remarked.

Nagenthiran alleged that the meals often contained insects and other unhygienic elements, questioning how such lapses could escape the notice of the state government.

"The breakfast meant to fill the stomachs of innocent children is being served with everything from worms to lizards. Is this invisible to the so-called vigilant Dravidian model government?" he asked.

He further criticised the practice of preparing food at distant centres and transporting it to schools, claiming that this turned the meals stale and unfit for consumption.

"The food, which is supposed to be nutritious, ends up losing its quality by the time it reaches children. Is this the achievement of the Dravidian model?" he said.

Nagenthiran accused the government of neglecting poor children studying in government schools.

"Is it the government's belief that anything can be passed off as food simply because these are the children of the poor? Or is it an attempt to hide the truth through false propaganda while ignoring the serious lapses?" he charged.

He concluded that unless the quality and safety of the breakfast provided under the scheme are ensured, its expansion would remain a "hollow" exercise, failing to serve its true purpose of improving children's nutrition and educational outcomes.

--IANS

aal/svn