TN floats tenders for breakfast scheme supplies as beneficiary count crosses 34 lakh

Chennai, Nov 4
The Tamil Nadu government has invited nationwide electronic tenders for the procurement of food ingredients required for the Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme, which currently benefits more than 34 lakh children studying in government and government-aided schools across the state.

The procurement, to be undertaken through the state's consumer cooperative network, is intended to ensure uninterrupted implementation of the breakfast programme during the three-month period beginning January 1, 2027.

According to the tender notification, the government proposes to procure 1,300 metric tonnes of double-roasted rava in one-kilogram packets and 1,200 metric tonnes of samba rava, also packed in one-kilogram quantities, along with another category of food ingredients supplied in 200-gram packets.

The tender documents became available for downloading on November 2, while December 2 has been fixed as the deadline for submitting bids. Suppliers from across India can participate in the electronic tendering process.

The breakfast initiative has its origins in the Chief Minister's Breakfast Scheme launched on September 15, 2022, by the then DMK government headed by M.K. Stalin. The programme was introduced to provide nutritious morning meals to primary schoolchildren, particularly those from economically disadvantaged families.

Initially implemented in selected schools, the scheme was subsequently expanded in phases to cover government primary schools across Tamil Nadu. Its coverage was later extended to government-aided institutions, substantially increasing the number of beneficiaries.

In September, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay expanded the programme to students in Classes 6 to 8, bringing approximately 34.64 lakh children in 44,984 schools under its coverage.

The expansion required an additional allocation of Rs 217.63 crore, taking the programme's overall allocation to Rs 724 crore.

The scheme provides freshly prepared breakfast, including pongal, upma, kichadi and other nutritious dishes, before regular classroom activities begin. Its principal objectives are to prevent classroom hunger, improve nutritional standards, encourage school attendance and help children concentrate on their studies.

An evaluation by the State Planning Commission found improved attendance in 1,319 of the 1,543 schools surveyed, indicating encouraging results from the initiative. The latest procurement exercise also includes 1,300 metric tonnes of semiya, or vermicelli, in 200-gram packets, completing the three categories of ingredients covered by the tender process.