CHENNAI:The Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday said that his state will consider implementing a breakfast programme modelled on the Chief Minister's Breakfast Scheme (CMBFS) for school children, while attending the inauguration of the expansion of CMBFS to urban regions.

Mann congratulated Stalin for an impactful scheme that feeds 20.59 lakh children every day. Addressing the audience, the Punjab CM said, "Though there is a mid-day meal scheme, breakfast is more vital to children as a child cannot pay attention in class on an empty stomach. And, I am informed that through this scheme, attendance in schools has surged, showing a positive impact."

Mann went on to add that the scheme is beneficial to both children and parents. He pointed out that parents, too, would find it tough to make breakfast for the kids in the mornings. Tamil Nadu, through CMBFS implementation in schools, has focused on both education and health of the future generation, he said.

In his address, Mann called Punjab a food bowl of India, as it produces a significant share of the rice and wheat of the nation. He underscored the Aam Aadmi Party's focus on ordinary people and their welfare.

Additionally, Mann stated that Punjab now operates 881 Aam Aadmi clinics that provide free medicines to people. These clinics have a footfall of over 70,000 people per day.

"As far as education is concerned in Punjab, 805 students had cleared the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), 416 cleared the JEE mains, and 44 qualified for the JEE advanced. With these achievements, Punjab will focus on implementing breakfast for children," Mann added.