Bicycles for One lakh SC/ST students in Orissa

Bhubaneswar, Jul 19 (UNI) One lakh SC/ST students in Orissa will receive a bicycle under a scheme conceived by the Women and Child Welfare Department to cost the state exchequer nearly Rs 20 crore.

Official sources said the state government has directed the district collectors to initiate the process within the next two months.

As per the criteria, SC/ST students reading in both the government and government aided schools and colleges right from class eight to plus two classes, would be eligible to get the cycle free of cost.

A district-level committee under the chairmanship of the district collector has been constituted to execute the scheme. The committee would invite tender from the parties and the lowest bidder would be asked to supply the bicycles.

Sources added the identification of the SC/ST students has been completed. Each bicycle would cost nearly Rs 2000 and the government had already made a budgetary provision of Rs 20 crore for the purpose.

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