Girl students await bicycles under Mai Bhago Vidya Scheme in Kapurthala

The SAD-BJP government in the state has failed to keep up the promises made under the much-hyped Mai Bhago Vidya scheme as most girl students in the district are still waiting for their bicycles, even as the academic session is nearing its end.

The SAD-BJP government in the state has failed to keep up the promises made under the much-hyped Mai Bhago Vidya scheme as most girl students in the district are still waiting for their bicycles, even as the academic session is nearing its end.

As per the information obtained from the district education department, only 1,800 students against the total 2,251 students of Class 11 have received bicycles so far.

Shockingly, not even a single girl student of Class 12 has received a bicycle in the last two academic sessions.

Under this scheme, girl students from senior school, belonging to a BPL family is eligible for the benefit.

The state government had introduced the scheme with an aim to decrease the school dropout rate among girls. Later, the government had also announced to provide free bicycles to Class 9 and 10 students, to motivate them to continue their higher education even if secondary schools are at distance from their homes.

However, only Class 11 students are being covered in this session.

Sources said that none of the girl students at Government Senior Secondary School, Khukhrain, have received bicycle this year. In the last session, only 6 out of 21 students of the school had received their bicycles.

A teacher, on request of anonymity, said that most students at government schools come from below poverty line families but still they did not get their bicycles which forced them to come on private vehicles or on their feet.

When approached, the district education officer (secondary) Gurbhajan Singh said the department will be distributed the cycles in a few days to all students. “I am not aware if any student had not received her cycle in last academic session,” he added.