The Food Safety Department will monitor the quality of food supplied to students under the Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme, said Health Minister Ma. Subramanian.
Launching the scheme in the presence of HR and CE Minister P.K. Sekarbabu and Mayor R. Priya here on Friday, Mr. Subramanian said the government had taken steps to serve quality food to children.
“The Food Safety Department officials checked the quality of the food before it was distributed in schools. The officials have planned the distribution of food with a focus on hygiene,” he said.
Pointing to the difference between the breakfast scheme launched by the previous AIADMK government and the present regime, Mr. Subramanian said the previous government roped in non-governmental organisations for distribution of breakfast in a few schools, but discontinued it within a few days. “It is wrong to claim that the AIADMK government launched the scheme,” he said.
Trained cooks
Each cooking centre will supply food to four or five schools. Teams of women from self-help groups, who have been trained, will cook the food. The utensils will be cleaned at the centres before distribution of the food.
On Friday, the breakfast scheme was launched for schools in north Chennai areas. As many as 5,941 students in 37 schools were served free breakfast.
The next phase of the scheme will be launched shortly. Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi was present.
