Hyderabad, March 20: In a significant welfare decision, a midday meal scheme for secondary school students and a breakfast scheme for students from pre-primary to intermediate will be implemented across Telangana from the 2026-27 academic year.
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 midday meal scheme to students pursuing higher secondary education in government junior colleges.
The Telangana government, led by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, also decided to launch the breakfast scheme across the state for students studying from pre-primary to intermediate, with a focus on quality nutrition.
Under this scheme, every student will be provided 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 dropout and absenteeism. It will also ease the burden on working parents. In simple terms, no child in Telangana should start 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 provide retrofitted motorized 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, previously known as Industrial Training Institutes.
The Indiramma Family Life Insurance Scheme will be implemented from June 2, 2026, to provide life insurance of ₹5 lakh to each of the 1 crore 15 lakh families in the state, the finance minister said.
Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka announced a 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 a digital health card, and approximately 23.51 lakh government employees, pensioners, and their dependent family members will benefit from 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.