Key Highlights
- New date: All central kitchens for the school breakfast scheme will be inaugurated statewide on December 9; work must finish by November 30.
- Monitoring: Every kitchen will be linked to the Integrated Command and Control Centre in Hyderabad.
- CSR boost: Junna Solar Systems (₹5.17 crore) and Chain Labs India (₹4 crore) funded kitchens in Nagarkurnool and Vikarabad.
- Scale: The state plans 39 kitchens across 33 districts, aiming to cover about 22 lakh students.
- Tech push: The CM asked for an app to calculate calories in meals and records to track students' growth.
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy announced on Friday that all central kitchens built to serve breakfast to government school students will be inaugurated across the state on December 9. He directed officials to finish all kitchens by November 30, link them to the Integrated Command and Control Centre in Hyderabad, and arrange student visits to the kitchens.
₹9.17 Crore From Two Companies
At the CM's Jubilee Hills residence, Junna Solar Systems and Chain Labs India signed agreements with the Hare Krishna Foundation. Junna Solar handed over ₹5.17 crore for a kitchen in Nagarkurnool, and Chain Labs India ₹4 crore for one in Vikarabad.
Revanth Reddy said the scheme's aim is to provide nutritious food and encourage regular attendance. He called for a record of students' physical growth and academic progress, an app to calculate the calorie content of meals, and menus suited to regional food habits, describing the scheme as a long-term programme needing utmost care.
Why It Matters: A Scheme That Has Been Stopped and Restarted
The scheme has had a complicated history. The previous BRS government launched the Chief Minister's Breakfast Scheme on October 6, 2023. It was halted in December 2023 after the Congress came to power, and its reintroduction was announced in February this year.
The current government launched it on June 15. The first phase covered 1,269 schools and 33 junior colleges in eight districts, reaching 1,44,610 students through seven community kitchens. The full plan is far bigger: 39 centralised kitchens across 33 districts, costing about ₹300 crore to build and ₹540 crore a year to run, serving nearly 22 lakh students six days a week.
The timeline has also shifted. Officials earlier aimed for full coverage by the first week of November; the statewide kitchen launch is now set for December 9.
CSR Is Building the Kitchens
Much of the infrastructure is coming through corporate funding. In July, Divi's Laboratories committed ₹12.18 crore and Aurobindo Pharma ₹10 crore for kitchens through the same foundation. Friday's grants continue that model.
The Debate
The partnership has drawn questions. Activists appealed in August to reconsider the tie-up with the ISKCON-linked foundation and raised concerns about food quality and the centralised kitchen model. The government has continued with the plan, with the Hare Krishna foundation and Manna Trust among its partners.
The Bottom Line
After a stop-start journey, Telangana's breakfast scheme is heading for a statewide network of kitchens. Its success will depend on meeting the new deadline and ensuring that food reaching 22 lakh children is consistently nutritious and acceptable.
With inputs from IANS.
Key Highlights
- New date: All central kitchens for the school breakfast scheme will be inaugurated statewide on December 9; work must finish by November 30.
- Monitoring: Every kitchen will be linked to the Integrated Command and Control Centre in Hyderabad.
- CSR boost: Junna Solar Systems (₹5.17 crore) and Chain Labs India (₹4 crore) funded kitchens in Nagarkurnool and Vikarabad.
- Scale: The state plans 39 kitchens across 33 districts, aiming to cover about 22 lakh students.
- Tech push: The CM asked for an app to calculate calories in meals and records to track students' growth.
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy announced on Friday that all central kitchens built to serve breakfast to government school students will be inaugurated across the state on December 9. He directed officials to finish all kitchens by November 30, link them to the Integrated Command and Control Centre in Hyderabad, and arrange student visits to the kitchens.
₹9.17 Crore From Two Companies
At the CM's Jubilee Hills residence, Junna Solar Systems and Chain Labs India signed agreements with the Hare Krishna Foundation. Junna Solar handed over ₹5.17 crore for a kitchen in Nagarkurnool, and Chain Labs India ₹4 crore for one in Vikarabad.
Revanth Reddy said the scheme's aim is to provide nutritious food and encourage regular attendance. He called for a record of students' physical growth and academic progress, an app to calculate the calorie content of meals, and menus suited to regional food habits, describing the scheme as a long-term programme needing utmost care.
Why It Matters: A Scheme That Has Been Stopped and Restarted
The scheme has had a complicated history. The previous BRS government launched the Chief Minister's Breakfast Scheme on October 6, 2023. It was halted in December 2023 after the Congress came to power, and its reintroduction was announced in February this year.
The current government launched it on June 15. The first phase covered 1,269 schools and 33 junior colleges in eight districts, reaching 1,44,610 students through seven community kitchens. The full plan is far bigger: 39 centralised kitchens across 33 districts, costing about ₹300 crore to build and ₹540 crore a year to run, serving nearly 22 lakh students six days a week.
The timeline has also shifted. Officials earlier aimed for full coverage by the first week of November; the statewide kitchen launch is now set for December 9.
CSR Is Building the Kitchens
Much of the infrastructure is coming through corporate funding. In July, Divi's Laboratories committed ₹12.18 crore and Aurobindo Pharma ₹10 crore for kitchens through the same foundation. Friday's grants continue that model.
The Debate
The partnership has drawn questions. Activists appealed in August to reconsider the tie-up with the ISKCON-linked foundation and raised concerns about food quality and the centralised kitchen model. The government has continued with the plan, with the Hare Krishna foundation and Manna Trust among its partners.
The Bottom Line
After a stop-start journey, Telangana's breakfast scheme is heading for a statewide network of kitchens. Its success will depend on meeting the new deadline and ensuring that food reaching 22 lakh children is consistently nutritious and acceptable.
With inputs from IANS.