Chennai, August 17: The Tamil Nadu Women Development Corporation has issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to expand the ‘Perunthalaivar Kamarajar Breakfast Scheme’ for students in grades 6 to 8 at government and aided schools across the state.
According to the guidelines, selected members from self-help groups (SHGs) associated with the State Rural Livelihood Mission will prepare and serve the breakfast. Applicants must have at least three years of experience in SHGs, reside in the same village or town panchayat as the school, and possess basic cooking knowledge. Additionally, their children must attend the same school.
Selected members should have completed at least the 10th grade. However, for mountainous, tribal, and remote areas, the minimum qualification has been reduced to the 8th grade.
They must also own an Android phone with internet access and maintain a good record of repaying loans from banks or federations.
Before the program commences, SHG members must complete training in cooking, food safety, cleanliness, record-keeping, and data submission through the scheme’s mobile app. Training must be completed at least 15 days before the start of operations. Cooking will begin at 6 AM and must be finished by 8 AM, with hot breakfast served between 8 AM and 9 AM.
After serving, utensils must be cleaned, and workers should leave the school by 9:30 AM. Rice, lentils, cooking oil, and salt cannot be purchased locally; these will be supplied through the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation. Vegetables can be sourced locally or grown in school and panchayat gardens.
Schools with fewer than ten students may receive meals from nearby larger cooking centers. SHG members delivering breakfast to these schools will receive a distribution charge of 1,500 rupees.
The SOP also mandates daily record-keeping, photo reporting via the mobile app, food sample preservation, regular inspections, independent evaluations, and social audits to ensure quality, cleanliness, and accountability.
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