AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat government admitted in the Assembly that 1,18,071 bicycles meant for socially and educationally backward class (SEBC) and Scheduled Caste (SC) students under the Saraswati Sadhana Yojana remain undelivered as of 31/12/24.The scheme, designed to provide bicycles to class 9 girls for commuting to school, aims to boost attendance among SC, Scheduled Tribe (ST), and socially and educationally backward class (SEBC) students. The delay raises concerns over the scheme’s execution, impacting thousands of students reliant on this crucial transport aid. In response to a query by Congress MLA Amit Chavda in the Gujarat Assembly on Thursday, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment revealed a significant shortfall in bicycle distribution under the Saraswati Sadhana Yojana. In 2023, the government demanded 13,300 bicycles for Scheduled Caste (SC) students and 98,212 for socially and educationally backward classes (SEBC). The request was sent to Gujarat Rural Industries Marketing Corporation Ltd. (GRIMC), which delivered 6,829 bicycles to SC students and 77,607 to SEBC students, leaving 6,871 and 20,605 short, respectively. The crisis deepened in 2024, as the government sought 12,800 bicycles for SC students and 1,05,271 for SEBC students from GRIMC. However, as of December 31, 2024, not a single bicycle has been provided. The Gujarat government informed the Assembly on Thursday that out of the 6,471 pending bicycles for Scheduled Caste (SC) students in the 2023 academic year, 6,034 have been distributed so far. Similarly, the 20,605 bicycles meant for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) have now been allocated.
Source link
