Hyderabad, March 20 (IANS) In a landmark welfare decision, a Mid-Day Meal Scheme for higher secondary students and breakfast scheme for students from pre-primary to intermediate will be implemented across Telangana from the academic year 2026-27.

This was announced in the state budget for 2026-27 presented by Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister, Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, in the Telangana Assembly on Friday.

He stated that the Telangana government will extend the Mid-Day Meal Scheme to students pursuing higher secondary education in government junior colleges.

The Chief Minister Revanth Reddy-led Telangana government also decided to launch the breakfast scheme across the state for students studying from pre-primary to intermediate, with quality nutrition.

Under this, every student will be given milk on three days a week and ragi malt on the remaining three days, he said.

“This landmark initiative will improve nutrition and health outcomes, increase attendance and punctuality, and reduce dropouts and absenteeism. It will ease the burden on working parents. In simple words, no child in Telangana should begin a school day on an empty stomach. This is a watershed reform for student welfare,” Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said in the budget speech.

The Telangana government also decided to distribute retrofitted motorised vehicles to differently-abled students pursuing higher secondary education.

The Chief Minister Revanth Reddy government also decided to provide a scholarship of ₹2,000 per month to trainees receiving training in Advanced Technology Centres earlier known as Industrial Training Institutes.

The Indiramma Family Life Insurance Scheme will be implemented from June 2, 2026, to provide life insurance of Rs.5 lakh to each of the 1 crore 15 lakh families in the state, the finance minister said.

Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka announced cashless health scheme for government employees and pensioners under which treatment can be availed for 1,998 diseases in government hospitals as well as in 421 empanelled private hospitals.

Every employee will be provided digital health card and about 23.51 lakh government employees, pensioners, and their dependent family members will benefit under this scheme.

Vikramarka said that for the first time in the country, a comprehensive accident insurance scheme will be implemented.

“If government employees or pensioners working in the state die due to an accident, accident insurance coverage of ₹1.20 crore will apply; term life insurance of ₹10 lakh up to the age of 60 years; and in case of death in an air accident, an additional coverage of ₹2 crore will be available. This scheme will apply to 7.57 lakh government employees and pensioners,” Vikramarka said.

–IANS

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