Bhopal:Thursday, June 11 : A scheme to provide free cycles to girl students is under implementation in Madhya Pradesh with a viewing to promoting education among girls and it has yielded encouraging results. During the last five years, 7 lakh 38 thousand 384 girl students of Class VI and IX have been provided free cycles.
The scheme introduced in 2004-05 covers the girls passing Class V and VIII and taking admission in Classes VI and IX. Till the year 2005-06 girls belonging to only scheduled castes and scheduled tribes were given benefits of this scheme but since the year 2006-07 girls belonging to all sections of society are being provided free cycles. The condition of BPL has also been abolished in this connection.
During the year 2004-05, as many as 33 thousand 852 girl students were provided free cycles on getting admission to Class IX, followed by 38 thousand 749 girls in 2005-06, eighty-six thousand 680 girls in 2006-07, ninety thousand in 2007-08 and one lakh 94 thousand 552 girls in the year 2008-09 which exceeded the target of one lakh 79 thousand 667 girls. Rs 2400 was provided to each girl for purchasing cycle. This cost Rs 50 crore 27 lakh to the state exchequer.
Class VI
The scheme to provide free cycles to girl students is also being run by Rajya Shiksha Kendra. Under the scheme, girls who take admission in class VI and have to go to another place from their village to acquire knowledge are provided free cycles. The scheme launched in 2007 covered 95 thousand 551 girls belonging to SC, ST and BPL categories. Since 2008, girls belonging to all the sections of society were included in the scheme and free cycles were distributed among one lakh 99 thousand girls. A target to provide two lakh free cycles to girl students has been set for the year 2009. For this purpose, funds have been allocated to Parent-Teacher Associations at the rate of Rs 2300 per cycle.
