Hyderabad : Governor Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan launched the Raj Bhavan Annam canteen at the Raj Bhavan Community Hall, here, today. The Raj Bhavan Annam canteen will provide free breakfast to the Raj Bhavan school children and the sanitation, gardening, and other workers
of the Raj Bhavan.
As per the vision of the Governor to provide free and nutritious breakfast to the Raj Bhavan School children, the Sri Satya Sai Seva Samiti organizations came forward to offer free breakfast at the Raj Bhavan Annam facility.
After opening the Raj Bhavan Annam canteen, the Governor joined the school children and the Raj Bhavan sanitation workers and had the breakfast along with them. The Governor and her husband, eminent Nephrologist, Dr. P. Soundararajan personally served the breakfast to the students and the sanitation workers before joining them for the breakfast.
The students and the sanitation workers looked pleasantly surprised to have breakfast sitting beside the Governor and her husband.
She personally went round the canteen facility and interacted with all those children and sanitation workers, who were having breakfast, and enquired about the quality of the breakfast, which they said, was very tasty and nutritious.
The Governor stated that having a good nutritious breakfast was vital for the physical, cognitive and academic development of the school going children.
“Providing breakfast with vital nutrients is necessary for the school going children for their all-round development. I felt this (providing nutritious breakfast) is more important during this pandemic period to improve their immunity and help them grow better physically and mentally, and as well as help them do better in academics,” Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan added.
School children and sanitation workers termed this gesture of providing free breakfast was motherly initiative from Governor, who they said was taking care of them as a mother and as a doctor.
Referring to some studies, the Governor said that most of the lunch boxes of school going children were having potato chips, and other junk food items that are not really healthy.
We must ensure that the children get required nutrients, vitamins and minerals through their food and many traditional foods do have such vital nutrients.
Governor thanked the Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the implementation of Poshan Abhiyan to ensure the supply of nutritious food to the children and end the malnutrition in the country.
“Tamil Nadu’s former chief ministers Kamaraj Nadar and MG Ram Chandran’s initiatives in offering free Mid Day Meal and breakfast respectively in schools have reduced the dropout rate and increased the enrolment, while improving the academic performance of the children in Tamil Nadu,” Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan added.
The Governor stated that the National Education Policy-2020 also envisions the provision of free breakfast to all the school children in the country. “Raj Bhavan Annam canteen is an initiative in tune with the vision of the NEP-2020,” she added.
Sri Satya Sai Seva Samiti district president A. Mallikarjun Rao said that they were fortunate to get the opportunity to serve the free breakfast at the Raj Bhavan Annam canteen and thanked the Governor for the vision and initiative.
The seva samiti has prepared a daily menu to offer balanced and nutritious breakfast to the children and the sanitation workers.
Speaking on the occasion, Raj Bhavan School children Akshita (9th standard) and Gautam (10th standard) thanked the Governor for providing them with free and nutritious breakfast through the Raj Bhavan Annam canteen facility.
“We promise to study well and bring laurels to the Raj Bhavan school and emulate Governor in serving the needy,” the students added.
Earlier, the Governor and other dignitaries paid floral tributes to the portrait of Bhagawan Sri Satya Sai Baba on the occasion.
Secretary to Governor K. Surendra Mohan, representatives from Sri Satya Seva Samiti organizations, Raj Bhavan school teachers were among those who spoke on the occasion