The state government has so far spent Rs 3,500 crore to distribute cycles among 1.04 crore students
Representation image [Photo SNS]
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee will distribute Sabuj Sathi bicycles at a function in Howrah tomorrow.
She will be distributing the cycles meant for South and North 24-Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly and Jhargram. It is learnt that distribution of cycles in East and West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia will be done later.
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The students of state-run, sponsored, aided schools and Madrasas, who got promoted to Class IX in 2022 will get the cycles.
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The state government has so far spent Rs 3,500 crore to distribute cycles among 1.04 crore students.
Once the distribution of cycles in Phase 8 is completed, the total number of students between Classes IX and XII who will receive the cycles will be 1.16 crore and the total money spent will be Rs 4,000 crore.
The cycles have been provided by three companies, namely, Avon, Hero and Hero Eco Trek.
A senior state government official said the cycles are ready for distribution and once Miss Banerjee gives clearance the cycles will be distributed among the beneficiaries.
Chief Secretary HK Diwedi at a virtual meeting with all the district magistrates held on Friday had instructed to keep the cycles ready as Miss Banerjee will start distribution virtually in the distant districts.
Cycles among the students of Class IX have already been distributed in Alipurduar, Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Malda, North and South Dinajpur, Birbhum, East and West Burdwan.
Chief minister took the initiative to distribute cycles free to students studying in Classes IX to XII in state-run, sponsored, aided schools and madrasas in 2017 and she had distributed the cycles among the students in Gopiballavpur.
Sabooj Sathi has received global recognition and the United Nations have given prizes to the West Bengal government for the initiative in 2019 and 2020.
Subooj Sathi is one of the flagship projects of the West Bengal government.
It has successfully brought down underage marriages in the semi-urban and rural areas and reduced the number of school dropouts.
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