NewKerala.com

Key Points

Tamil Nadu BJP president has criticized the state's breakfast scheme expansion while raising serious quality concerns. He highlighted multiple incidents where poor-quality food including lizards were served to children. The BJP leader questioned how such lapses escape the government's notice despite their claims of vigilance. He concluded that without ensuring food safety and quality, the scheme's expansion remains hollow and ineffective.

Key Points: TN BJP Chief Nagenthiran Slams Stalin Breakfast Scheme Quality Issues

  • BJP chief warns expansion without quality improvement yields little benefit
  • Cites lizard found in food at Tarapuram Government School incident
  • Questions government oversight of poor hygiene standards in meals
  • Criticizes food preparation at distant centers causing staleness
2 min read

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

Tamil Nadu BJP president criticizes breakfast scheme expansion over hygiene lapses including lizards in food, questions Dravidian model government's oversight.

"The breakfast meant to fill the stomachs of innocent children is being served with everything from worms to lizards - Nainar Nagenthiran"

Chennai, Aug 26

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

Share this article:

Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
As a parent whose child benefits from this scheme, I appreciate the expansion but agree quality must improve. Transporting food from distant centers is clearly not working. Local preparation would be better.
S
Sarah B
While the criticism is valid, let's acknowledge that the scheme itself is a good initiative. Instead of political blame games, all parties should work together to improve implementation.
K
Karthik V
The Great Wall of China comparison might be exaggerated, but the point stands. We need better monitoring and local accountability. Children's health cannot be compromised.
A
Anjali F
This is so disappointing. Government schemes meant for underprivileged children should have the highest standards. Hope the authorities take this criticism seriously and implement proper quality checks. 🙏
M
Michael C
Having worked with nutrition programs, I can say that centralized kitchens with long transport routes almost always compromise quality. Decentralized preparation with community involvement works much better.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50