Over 43,000 students in the Nilgiris receive cakes, greeting cards ahead of Children’s Day

Tamil Nadu Forest Minister R. V. Ranjithkumar distributing cake to a student in Udhagamandalam on Friday.

Tamil Nadu Forest Minister R.V. Ranjithkumar on Friday (November 13) distributed cakes and greeting cards to students at Udhagamandalam in the Nilgiris district, ahead of Children’s Day.

Speaking at the government higher secondary school in Udhagamandalam, the Minister said that 43,668 students studying in 516 government and government-aided primary schools, middle schools, high schools, and higher secondary schools in the Nilgiris will receive cakes and greeting cards to mark Children’s Day.

Tenders were invited through the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation for the procurement of cakes. Based on the tender process, cakes meeting FSSAI standards were procured exclusively through four companies, he said, adding that samples of the cakes were subjected to inspection by officials from the Food Safety Department and the Drug Administration Department.

The Minister also visited the Government Higher Secondary School for Children with Hearing Impairments, located near the Government Botanical Garden.

Earlier, Mr. Ranjithkumar distributed pongal to children at the Vannarapettai anganwadi centre. They were among 6,150 children at 490 anganwadis in the Nilgiris who were given pongal on Friday.

The Minister also took part in a programme in the Nilgiris where he distributed bank credit linked assistance worth ₹41.54 crore to 368 women self-help groups for undertaking entrepreneurial activities. Also present at the events was the Nilgiris Collector, Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru