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Fund crunch puts brakes on free bicycles for over 1 lakh school girls
Chandigarh The Capt Amarinder Singh-led Congress government proudly proclaimed in the list of achievements five weeks ago that it had prohibited the photographs
Chandigarh The Capt Amarinder Singh-led Congress government proudly proclaimed in the list of achievements five weeks ago that it had prohibited the photographs of the chief minister from free bicycles for girls under the Mai Bhago Vidhya Scheme.
The allusion was to photos of then chief minister Parkash Singh Badal during the previous Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party (SAD-BJP) regime, but the state government forgot to mention one important fact that no bicycles have been distributed to girl students of government schools this year. Over 1.05 lakh girls studying in Class 9 of government schools across the state are still waiting for their bicycles, even though half the academic year is over. The reason: non-availability of funds.
Though all girl students of classes 9 to 12 are to be covered under the scheme, the department of social security, women and child development decided to give bicycles to only those enrolled in Class 9 in the current academic year. It submitted a proposal to the finance department last month for ₹30.45 crore under the programme, but no funds have been received so far.
Social security and women and child development minister Aruna Chaudhary said the department gave free bicycles to 1.39 lakh girl students of senior secondary classes (11 and 12) in 2018-19. “This year, we want to distribute bicycles to girl students of Class 9. I also spoke to (finance minister) Manpreet Singh Badal, but there is a funding issue,” she said on being asked about the delay.
The scheme was started by the SAD-BJP government in 2011-12 as a 100% state-funded venture to give bicycles to girl students of classes 11 and 12 to encourage them to continue their studies as well as to reduce the school dropout rate. Later, it was expanded to include all girl students of secondary classes (9 and 10). However, the state authorities have not been in consistent in coverage of girl students under the scheme.
Principal secretary, social security, women and child development, Raji P Srivastava, said the department decided to give priority to Class 9 girls for maximum benefit as they can use the bicycles for four years. “We have not excluded Class 10 girls. Once we get fund from the finance department for Class 9, it will take care 45 days to deliver the bicycles. Then, we will push for bicycles for the girls currently studying in Class 10,” she said.
The bicycles, which are distributed through the deputy commissioners, have been seen as an important intervention for security of girls many of whom have to travel several kilometres to study in schools in other villages. As per the government of India norms, there should be a secondary school within a radius of five kilometres. The distance norm is seven kilometres for senior secondary classes. Of the 14,108 habitations in Punjab, 1,077 are uncovered at senior secondary level and 724 at secondary level as per the distance norm at national level, according to habitation data of 8th Education Survey conducted by the National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT).
The dropout rate among girls, particularly those belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC) families, has also been a cause of worry in the state. In 2017-18, more than 6% of girl students dropped out at secondary and senior secondary levels. The dropout among girls belonging to socially underprivileged families was even higher.
