Chandigarh, April 9
The Punjab Government has given the nod to a Central Government scheme to give free cycles to girl students belonging to minority communities.
The Centre had sought the views of the state in this regard. Sources said in the first phase, free cycles would be given this year to girl students of Class IX across the country in an effort to check the dropout rate at the high and secondary school level.
The distribution of cycles is expected to start after the summer break. Sources said the cost would be shared on a 50:50 basis by the Centre and the state governments concerned.
The number of girlstudents in Class IX in Punjab is said to be more than 1 lakh. In due course, the scheme will be extended to students of other classes, it is learnt.
A few months before the assembly elections, the SAD-BJP government had given away cycles to girl students of Class XI and XII. The Opposition had opposed the Chief Minister’s photo on the cycles. The photos were later removed on the directions of the Election Commission. The cycle industry in Punjab will also gain from the Central scheme.
Punjab has a good number of cycle manufacturing units at Ludhiana. Such units are likely to get orders from the Centre for its scheme.
Earlier, the state government had procured cycles from Ludhiana units for its much publicised Mai Bhago bicycle scheme.
The Punjab Government has given the nod to a Central Government scheme to give free cycles to girl students belonging to minority communities.
The Centre had sought the views of the state in this regard. Sources said in the first phase, free cycles would be given this year to girl students of Class IX across the country in an effort to check the dropout rate at the high and secondary school level.
The distribution of cycles is expected to start after the summer break. Sources said the cost would be shared on a 50:50 basis by the Centre and the state governments concerned.
The number of girlstudents in Class IX in Punjab is said to be more than 1 lakh. In due course, the scheme will be extended to students of other classes, it is learnt.
A few months before the assembly elections, the SAD-BJP government had given away cycles to girl students of Class XI and XII. The Opposition had opposed the Chief Minister’s photo on the cycles. The photos were later removed on the directions of the Election Commission. The cycle industry in Punjab will also gain from the Central scheme.
Punjab has a good number of cycle manufacturing units at Ludhiana. Such units are likely to get orders from the Centre for its scheme.
Earlier, the state government had procured cycles from Ludhiana units for its much publicised Mai Bhago bicycle scheme.
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