Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann Tuesday said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government will consider replicating Tamil Nadu’s free breakfast scheme for schoolchildren in his state.Mann was attending the launch of the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme’s expansion to urban schools in Chennai. He interacted with children and served them breakfast along with his Tamil Nadu counterpart M K Stalin.“I feel elated attending this event today. Under the scheme, children in rural areas of Tamil Nadu have been receiving a fresh breakfast, and now children in urban schools will also benefit from this initiative. I congratulate the Tamil Nadu government for launching such a scheme,” said Mann.Addressing Stalin from the stage, Mann said, “I promise you sir, I will also consider it in my cabinet to start this scheme in Punjab also.”Tamil Nadu launched the scheme in 2022 in a bid to reduce malnutrition, improve attendance, and enhance the learning ability of young children. Acknowledging its benefits, Mann said, “A hungry child cannot learn. If a child is hungry, then his or her potential and energy to learn and grasp declines. His or her attention is then only towards eliminating that hunger.”Mann said while the Centre’s Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN) midday meal scheme is good, working women still face the challenging task of waking up early in the morning to prepare breakfast for their children.“They first prepare food, make the child eat and then send them to school. So, it is a very good initiative by Tamil Nadu to launch such a scheme to provide breakfast to the children in schools,” said Mann.Story continues below this adOver 18 lakh children from upper kindergarten (UKG) to Class 8 are currently served midday meals in schools under the PM-POSHAN scheme in Punjab during lunch break.Taking to X, Stalin reciprocated to Mann’s statement and wrote. “The Chief Minister’s Breakfast Scheme in Tamil Nadu continues to inspire beyond our borders. Honorable Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann honoured us by attending the CM Breakfast Scheme expansion event today, I thank him warmly for his esteemed presence. After witnessing its impact here, he said that he would consider introducing a similar scheme in Punjab and hold discussions on it, and we are grateful for that. His words fill my heart with joy and pride, and I eagerly look forward to the day when it takes shape in Punjab.”Opposition targets Mann for attending Tamil Nadu event during floods in PunjabMewanwhile, Mann’s attendance at an event in Tamil Nadu while at least ten districts in Punjab are affected by floods sparked strong reactions political opponents. They accused him of abandoning the state while people are suffering.Story continues below this adSarabjeet Singh Jhinjer, national president, Youth Akali Dal (YAD) wrote on X: “When Rome was burning, Nero played the flute! Punjab is reeling under severe floods, with the situation only projected to worsen in the coming days. Farmers are fighting with their own hands to save their crops and homes, yet our CM Bhagwant Mann is busy holidaying with his family in Tamil Nadu. Such spineless and insensitive leadership is pushing Punjab into deeper misery!”Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira wrote on X, “The quote “Nero played the flute while Rome burnt” aptly fits on @BhagwantMann who’s busy touring Tamil Nadu with family while Punjab is suffering from fury of statewide floods ! We @INCIndia demand immediate flood relief measures including compensation for crop losses,Livestock and property damage.”