Kheda girls struggle to travel to school amid delayed distribution of bicycles

Updated: Aug 11th, 2024


The academic session started over a month-and-a-half ago in Kheda district, but the bicycles promised by Gujarat government for 9th-grade girls have not yet been distributed. On the other hand, bicycles at Bhumas in Mahuva Taluka (543 bicycles), Vithalpura in Kheda (5500 bicycles), and from Thasra Taluka and Chaklasi have been left rusting in the open. Yet, officials have remained silent about distributing the Saraswati Sadhana Scheme bicycles.

As a result, despite schools opening more than a month ago, 9th-grade girls are still deprived of the benefits of these bicycles.

In an effort to ensure that girls living in border and remote areas do not miss out on education, the government has been distributing bicycles under the Saraswati Sadhana Scheme. These bicycles are given to girls entering 9th grade during the school enrolment festivals. However, the lack of bicycles has led to significant frustration among parents.

The District Social Welfare Officer, Bakshipanch, from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Department has stated that requests for 7,700 Saraswati Sadhana bicycles and 256 Scheduled Castes bicycles have been sent to the government. As various development works and inauguration programs are currently being conducted across the city and rural areas, there is a growing sentiment that bicycles should be distributed to students during these events.

The government has also implemented a free ST bus pass scheme to encourage girls education, allowing students from rural areas to travel to school and college at no cost.

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Gujarat