Yeddyurappa Now Wants to Give Cycles, Not Cheques

Bangalore, Jan 11 (TNN): Under attack for deciding to distribute cheques to class 8 kids in government and aided schools instead of branded bicycles, chief minister B S Yeddyurappa seems to have had a change of heart.

The CM's office has asked the primary and secondary education department not to implement the scheme as Yeddyurappa wants to take the issue back to the cabinet. The government is likely to bear the additional cost of Rs 267 per bicycle and distribute the same to schoolchildren for the year 2010-11.

Earlier this month, the cabinet decided to distribute cheques for Rs 2,250 to students instead of cycles. A final decision will be taken this week.

Four companies were chosen for supply of bicycles to 2.90 lakh boys and 3.01 lakh girls. The companies quoted Rs 2,795 and Rs 2,750 per cycle for girls and boys respectively. After three rounds of negotiations by the purchase committee headed by the commissioner for public instruction, the price was reduced to Rs 2,657 per bicycle. Despite this, the price per bicycle was Rs 267 higher than that of bicycles purchased in 2009-11.

The CM's decision had not only upset primary and secondary education minister Vishveshwara Hegde Kageri, but also went against the recommendation of the legislative council committee headed by BJP MLC Thontadarya. The committee in its January 6 report had clearly recommended against distribution of cash to students to buy cycles.

The primary and secondary education department, which implements the scheme, was also in the dark over how to open lakhs of bank accounts on behalf to schoolchildren to deposit the cheques.

"The cabinet decided against giving cash and said that cheques should be distributed. But how many class 8 students in government schools will have bank accounts? We were looking at the possibility of tying up with a bank that could open lakhs of zero balance accounts in the name of beneficiaries," sources said.