By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
Bhopal: The bicycle industry that has suffered a slowdown over the years has now got a boost following implementation of Madhya Pradesh government’s scheme for free distribution of cycles to school students.
This year over eight lakh cycles would be distributed in the state, following Bharatiya Janata Party ruled Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mr. Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s announcement to cover the boy students also under the scheme. So far, over 15 lakh bicycles have already been distributed to the students in the state.
As part of measures to promote girls’ education the state government had announced in the year 2004-05 the scheme for distribution of bicycles free of cost to the girl students who get admission in Std. IX and had to go to other village to attend the school. This greatly helped in bringing down the number of girl students who had to abandon further studies after passing Std. VIII, only because there is no high school in their villages.
Chief Minister Mr. Chouhan extended this scheme for providing free bicycles to those girls also who get admission in Std. VI. This benefited over four lakh such girls.
Now, the Chief Minister has announced that like girl students the boy students would also get bicycles free of cost.
Meanwhile, under another scheme of the state government free cycles are provided to the Kotwars posted at gram panchayat level. So far, about 35,000 kotwars have been provided bicycles. This scheme has also gone a long way in reviving the cycle industry. ([email protected])