Bhatti Vikramarka Launches Telangana Free Breakfast Scheme, Says Welfare Is an Investment in People’s Future

Hyderabad: Telangana Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka said welfare schemes are not freebies but public investments, as he inaugurated the Centralized Community Kitchen in Madhira Assembly constituency to provide nutritious breakfast to students in government schools. He said the Congress-led People’s Government is committed to ensuring that no child in Telangana goes to school on an empty stomach, while announcing that the breakfast programme has now been launched across all government schools, beginning from Madhira.

Welfare Schemes Are Public Investments, Says Bhatti Vikramarka

Addressing a public meeting after inaugurating the Centralized Community Kitchen, Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka said welfare schemes should not be viewed as “freebies.”

He criticized those who, with what he described as a half-baked understanding, label welfare initiatives as freebies.

According to him, just as governments invest in industries, infrastructure, and development projects, they also invest in people—especially the poor, Dalits, backward communities, and all sections of society. Such investments, he said, help citizens progress socially and economically.

Free Breakfast Scheme Launched for Government School Students

Bhatti said the Congress-led People’s Government has launched the free breakfast programme to ensure that no child in Telangana attends school hungry.

He said the future of students is the future of the state, and despite financial constraints, the government introduced the scheme to provide hygienic, tasty, and nutritious breakfast every morning to support students’ physical and mental development.

As announced in the State Budget, the programme has now been launched across all government schools, beginning from Madhira Assembly constituency.

He reiterated that under Indiramma Rajyam, no child should go to school on an empty stomach and said every child born in Telangana represents the state’s future.

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Why the Government Introduced the Breakfast Programme

The Deputy Chief Minister said many children come to school hungry, making it difficult for them to:

• Concentrate in class
• Understand lessons properly
• Focus on their education

He said the government introduced the programme to eliminate these hardships.

‘Human Resources Must Be Polished Like Diamonds’

Bhatti described human resources as the state’s greatest wealth.

He said that while natural resources are important, a state or nation becomes truly powerful only when it has talented and capable people.

He stressed that Telangana should nurture children into world-class talent by “polishing them like diamonds”, enabling them to lead not only the state and the country but also the world.

He described the statewide breakfast programme as the beginning of that vision.

Breakfast for 2.7 Million Students

Bhatti called serving hot breakfast simultaneously to 2.7 million students across Telangana a historic decision that deserves to be recorded in golden letters in the nation’s history.

He said many families today find it difficult to provide breakfast even for two children at home.

Despite this, the government has undertaken the responsibility of serving breakfast every morning to:

• 2 million government school students
• 700,000 residential school students

bringing the total to 2.7 million students.

He said no other state or country has implemented such a large-scale breakfast programme and added that what once seemed impossible has become possible through determination and public commitment.

Hare Krishna Mission to Operate Centralized Kitchens

Bhatti said the programme is being implemented in partnership with the Hare Krishna Mission, which has established highly mechanized and hygienic kitchens.

At present, the temporary centralized kitchen in Madhira supplies breakfast to schools in 16 mandals.

He said permanent centralized kitchens across Telangana will be completed within the next three months.

Apart from breakfast, the government is also providing:

• Milk three days a week
• Ragi malt three days a week

to improve students’ nutrition.

Bhatti added that sharing a meal with schoolchildren was one of the greatest satisfactions of his political life.

Governance Means Public Welfare

The Deputy Chief Minister said governance is not about holding power or office.

According to him, real governance means mobilizing available resources, planning for society’s welfare, and laying strong foundations for people’s development.

As part of this vision, he said the government is constructing Indiramma houses worth ₹5 lakh each for homeless families across the state.

He added that seeing the happiness of poor families during housewarming ceremonies gives him the true meaning of governance.

People’s March Inspired Welfare Schemes

Recalling his People’s March from Adilabad to Khammam, Bhatti said he personally witnessed the hardships faced by people, including poor school conditions, unemployment, and homelessness.

He said the ideas that emerged during the march are now being implemented one by one as welfare schemes.

Key Welfare Initiatives Highlighted

Bhatti highlighted several initiatives introduced by the People’s Government:

• 4.5 lakh Indiramma houses sanctioned in the first phase at a cost of ₹22,500 crore
• Mahalakshmi Scheme providing free bus travel to women, benefiting nearly half of Telangana’s population
• ₹67,000 crore in interest-free bank-linked loans extended to empower women economically
• Health insurance coverage for poor families increased to ₹10 lakh
• 10.6 million families receiving 6 kilograms of fine rice per person every month
• Under Rythu Bharosa, ₹9,000 crore credited directly into farmers’ bank accounts within nine days, he said

Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka said Telangana’s free breakfast scheme is a major investment in the state’s future, not a freebie. After inaugurating the Centralized Community Kitchen in Madhira Assembly constituency, he announced that the programme has been launched across all government schools, beginning from Madhira, to serve 2.7 million students. He also highlighted major welfare initiatives, including Indiramma houses, the Mahalakshmi Scheme, Rythu Bharosa, health insurance expansion, free rice distribution, and women’s interest-free loans, stating that governance is about public welfare and human development.