T.N. CM Stalin launches special nutrition programme for infants, mothers and children of up to six years

The State’s flagship breakfast scheme for government school students has also been expanded; an agreement has been signed to impart training to cleanliness workers, in a bid to end manual scavenging

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin inaugurated various welfare schemes at a function in Chennai on February 28, 2023. Looking on (from left) are P. K. Sekarbabu, Minister for HR&CE, K.N. Nehru, Minister for Municipal Administration, Geetha Jeevan, Minister for Social Welfare and M. Subramanian, Minister for Health and Family Welfare | Photo Credit: Raghunathan SR

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday launched a special nutrition programme to benefit over 1.11 lakh children, aged between six months and six years, and over 11,900 infants of up to six months. He also launched welfare programmes aimed at benefitting mothers of infants of up to six months, school students, persons with disabilities, transpersons, ‘cleanliness workers’ and others.

Over 1.11 lakh children (identified with nutritional deficiency during a survey of 37 lakh across the State) are to be provided with ‘Ready to Use Therapeutic Food’ for 56 days, spanning over eight weeks. Mothers of infants of up to six months would be provided with a kit, which would include iron syrup, dates and nutritional supplements, among other things.

In a function organised at the Anna Centenary Library in Chennai, Mr. Stalin also launched the expansion of the flagship Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme to more schools, to additionally benefit over 56,000 students. In total, over 1.06 lakh students studying up to class 5 in over 970 government-run schools across the State would benefit from the CM Breakfast Scheme.

Effort to end manual scavenging

Aiming at ending manual scavenging and the related loss of lives, Mr. Stalin said an agreement has been signed between the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) and the Dalit Chamber of Commerce to train ‘cleanliness workers’ into entrepreneurs by imparting skill training to them to operate modern equipment, and to prevent the loss of lives. The initiative is to be implemented in the Greater Chennai Corporation initially, and will subsequently be expanded to other local bodies, the Chief Minister said.

Mr. Stalin also unveiled the foundation stone for the construction of 44 hospitals across the State at a total investment of ₹1,136 crore. He launched the distribution of appointment orders to 192 candidates, recruited by the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission to various posts in different departments. The CM also launched the distribution of an enhanced monthly pension for transpersons from ₹1,000 to ₹1,500. He launched the distribution of housing pattas for persons with disabilities.

Minister for Municipal Administration K.N. Nehru, Minister for Social Welfare P. Geetha Jeevan, Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ma. Subramanian, Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments P.K. Sekarbabu, Minister for School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi and senior officials were present on the occasion.