CM Stalin pays surprise visit to Adi Dravidar schools in Vellore to check on breakfast scheme

CM M.K. Stalin visited three schools in Vellore district on Thursday morning, inquired about the quality of breakfast served, staff and student strength; he also visited Vellore Corporation-run wellness centres and a community kitchen

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin waving at the public during his visit to Vellore on February 2, 2022 | Photo Credit: C. VENKATACHALAPATHY

For the headmaster T. Anbazhagan, at the Government Adi Dravidar Welfare Primary School in Nadaparai, a small hamlet within the Vellore Corporation limits, off the Chennai-Bengaluru Highway (NH 48), the day began as just another school day on Thursday, February 2, 2023, until Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin dropped in for a surprise visit.

The CM Stalin walked into the school campus at around 7.30 a.m., accompanied by Vellore District Collector P. Kumaravel Pandian and Vellore Corporation Commissioner P. Ashok Kumar.

“I was speechless when I saw him. However, he was very polite and inquired about the students in a caring way. He (Chief Minister) served food (breakfast) for a small group of students along with us. He stayed for around 10 minutes,” Mr. Anbazhagan told The Hindu.

The government school is one of the three schools maintained by the Department of Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare, in the neighbourhood of Alamelumangapuram, inspected by the Chief Minister on Thursday morning.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin walks out of Government Adi Dravidar Welfare Primary School in Nadaparai, under the Vellore Corporation limits, on February 2, 2023, after paying a surprise visit | Photo Credit: C. VENKATACHALAPATHY

During his interaction with Mr. Anbazhagan, the lone teacher present at school at that time, the Chief Minister enquired about the quality of breakfast served for students, meal times, student strength and staff availability.

Spread over one acre, the school was founded in October 1947 and moved to its present location over three decades ago in 1988. Currently, the school has 132 students including 73 girls, mostly from the Irular community.

Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister inspected the wellness centre at Sathuvachari within the Vellore civic body limits on the highway at around 7 a.m. The Corporation has constructed 20 wellness centres, with each zone getting five such centres, at a cost of ₹25 lakh each.

Then, the Chief Minister went to the Corporation-maintained community kitchen near the Collectorate where he learnt about total beneficiaries and the quality of the breakfast served.

Currently, the kitchen prepares breakfast for 3,269 students for 48 Corporation-run primary schools. Soon, the kitchen will make food for an additional 3,131 students from 38 schools, Mr. Stalin was informed.