Telangana Launches Automated Community Kitchen to Serve Breakfast to 44,107 Government School Students

 

In a major push to strengthen student nutrition and improve school attendance, Telangana has inaugurated a state-of-the-art centralised community kitchen at Madhira in Khammam district to provide hygienic breakfasts to 44,107 government school students across 16 mandals.

The facility, established with financial support from Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative and built by the Hare Krishna Movement Charitable Foundation (HKMCF), marks a significant step in the state's plan to expand its school nutrition programme.

Automated kitchen to serve thousands daily

The newly inaugurated kitchen is equipped with advanced automated cooking systems designed to prepare large quantities of nutritious meals efficiently while maintaining high hygiene standards.

According to officials, the facility includes:

• High-capacity steamers capable of preparing 5,400 idlis in one hour
• An automatic dosa machine that produces 2,000 dosas per hour
• A fully automated poori machine with a capacity of 3,600 pooris every hour
• Automated systems for cooking sambar and vegetable curries for 5,000 students within two hours
• Rice-cooking machinery capable of preparing meals for 1,000 students in just 15 minutes

The Telangana government provided an 8,000-square-yard shed at the Madhira Agricultural Market Yard for constructing the kitchen, while SCCL funded the project through its CSR programme.

Breakfast for over 44,000 students

The centralised kitchen will prepare and distribute breakfast to 44,107 students studying in government schools across 16 mandals of Khammam district, ensuring that children begin their school day with a nutritious meal.

Officials believe the initiative will improve attendance, enhance classroom concentration and contribute to better health outcomes among students.

State plans expansion across Telangana

The facility was inaugurated by Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka in the presence of Satya Gaura Chandra Dasa, President of HKMCF–Akshaya Patra Foundation (Telangana-Andhra Pradesh Region), SCCL Chairman and Managing Director Buddha Prakash Jyoti, and HKMCF CEO Kaunteya Dasa.

Speaking at the event, the Deputy Chief Minister announced that Telangana plans to establish permanent centralised kitchens across the state within the next three months.

The expanded programme aims to provide breakfast to nearly 27 lakh students enrolled in government and residential schools.

Focus on nutrition

Beyond breakfast, the state government also plans to strengthen the nutritional value of school meals.

Under the proposed plan:

• Milk will be served three days each week.
• Ragi malt (finger millet porridge) will be provided on the remaining three days.

The initiative is intended to improve children's nutritional intake while supporting their physical growth and learning outcomes.

Strengthening school education through nutrition

The Madhira community kitchen represents a collaborative effort between the Telangana government, public sector enterprises and non-profit organisations to improve student welfare.

By combining automated food preparation, large-scale distribution and enhanced nutrition, the initiative seeks to ensure that every child attending a government school begins the day with a healthy meal, reinforcing the link between nutrition, attendance and academic performance.