Academic year comes to end, but students are deprived of cycles yet

Bantwal, 09 Jan 2019 [Fik/News Sources]: Cycles were usually distributed to students at the beginning of an academic year. However, though the current academic year is coming to an end, cycles have not been distributed to government schools so far. It has disappointed the students.

The Government had introduced the free cycle scheme to attract students towards government schools where, and to facilitate those students who do not have proper transportation facility as the number of students was declining day by day.

Since the scheme was implemented, cycles were provided up to the previous academic year. But, bicycles which had to be distributed to the students of Bantwal Taluk in the current year, have remained in Kalladka and Mudipu government schools for about three months. Consequently, the students of the current academic year have been deprived of cycles.

The government has reportedly given this contract to the Hero Company, and 4000 cycles of this company were sanctioned for the students of Bantwal Taluk. Following which the bicycles in same numbers have been reached to the Kalladka and Mudipu government schools. Several people have alleged that even after three months, the bicycles were not distributed to the students. The bicycles are still in the same place and getting rust.

Immediate distribution if government orders

The distribution of bicycles in the Bantwal taluk was on hold since the government has ordered the DDPI to distribute bicycles after having a quality check as the education department had received complaints from a various place of the state regarding the low quality of the cycles.

As per this order, a team of the department has recently visited Kalladka and Mudipu schools to check the quality of the bicycles and sent a report to the higher officials. The bicycles will be distributed soon after getting the government orders, Bantwal BEO Shivaprakash informed.

In November, the spare parts of the cycles were brought and assembled at the Kalladka Government School ground. However, they have not been distributed to students till date.

Also, parts are not assembled properly. Since the bicycles are stored on the ground, students are facing difficulty in playing there. The Block Education Officer must bring this issue to the government's notice and deliver the quality bicycle as soon as possible, Kalladka School's old student Musthafa has urged.