TN CM announces free bicycles to lakh students

Chennai, Jan 14 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today announced that 5.22 lakh students across the state would be provided with bicycles under a free scheme at a cost of Rs 112 crore in the period 2007-2008.

An official release here said 2,84,297 boys and 2,38,502 girls would be benefited by the scheme.

Of the total number of beneficiaries, those belonging to the backward community numbered 2,22,562. In the most backward class and denotified category, 1,53,924 students and in the SC/ST category, 1,34,164 would be benefited.

All the students in these categories studying in 2,851 schools would be given bicylces before the end of February.

The Chief Minister delivered bicylces to some students at the Secretariat today.

Apart from this, Mr Karunanidhi also provided autorickshaws on low interest loans to the tune of Rs 2.22 crore to 209 people from minority communities, the release added.

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