The Hindu

• Resolution passed in May comes to light in quarterly review meeting
• List of urban students submitted to government
• BPL parents demand free bus passes for their children

Mangalore, Oct 9: High school students from below poverty line (BPL) families and residing in city corporation limits in the state will not be eligible for bicycles under the Government scheme from this academic year. The Government passed a resolution to this effect in May. However, the education department authorities submitted a list of beneficiaries to the Government demarcating urban and rural students.

Government order

The Government order came to light at the quarterly Mangalore taluk-level Karnataka Development Programme review meeting chaired by Mulki-Moodbidri MLA Abhayachandra Jain here on Monday October 8. B Kamalaksha, education co-ordinator, representing the Mangalore city block education officer, said the Government was not supplying bicycles to students from BPL families in corporation areas from the current academic year.

Distribution

The Government supplied 1,468 bicycles to beneficiaries in the city zone during 2006-07 for distribution to 842 girls and 626 boys. The authorities distributed only 1,208 bicycles among 649 girls and 559 boys, leaving 260 bicycles undistributed. They would now be distributed in Bantwal and Mangalore taluks, he said.

Education co-ordinator, Mangalore taluk, Venkatesh Pai, said the office of block education officer, Mangalore taluk, was yet to receive the bicycles from the Government for the current year. Bicycles will be given to students through the headmasters once they were received, he said.

Parents’ plea

Kamalaksha told presspersons that Mangalore city education authorities had received a proposal from parents of beneficiaries that the State Government could consider issuing free bus passes to their children instead of bicycles. “A majority of parents are apprehensive of letting their children ride bicycles to schools on congested city roads”.

Proposal submitted

Stating that the authorities had forwarded the proposal to the Government, he said if approved, the students could travel free in buses for three years until such time that they completed their high school education.

The decision to provide bicycles to girl students from BPL families studying in eighth standard was taken by Bharatiya Janata Party-Janata Dal (Secular) combine. The scheme was subsequently extended to boys as well.