In a state where bicycles given to girl students have often been in the news for their ‘colour’, the Ashok Gehlot government has decided to buy cycles worth Rs 133 crore in the next three months before the state elections to distribute them to students.
News18 has accessed a state government document inviting tenders on April 19 for the procurement of several thousand ‘black’ bicycles worth Rs 133 crore for girl students. The documents mention that the order must be completed within three months, which would enable the Gehlot government to distribute these bicycles before the model code of conduct kicks in for the year-end polls.
The order for the bicycles has been in limbo for the past few years due to the Covid pandemic, but the Congress now wants to fast-track it to appeal to the voters.
Incidentally, the Gehlot government had first come up with the idea of providing bicycles to girl students in the state in its earlier term in 2011. The Vasundhara Raje government since 2013 continued with the scheme but the Congress criticised it because the BJP changed the colour of the bicycles to ‘orange’.
Gehlot had taken inspiration for the idea from the Nitish Kumar government of Bihar. The scheme became very popular and saw the school dropout rates of girls fall in Rajasthan and the literacy rate had improved, a senior Congress leader told News18.
“The scheme of free distribution of ladies bicycles was started to improve girls’ education and their enrollment. Bicycles will be distributed to all newly admitted regular girl students in class 9 of government schools as per guidelines issued by government,” says the tender document.
The Gehlot government had recently decided that besides class 9, girl students from classes 6 to 8 will be given free cycles too. The ambit of the scheme was increased to reach out to more beneficiaries and their families. Coming just before elections, the Gehlot government feels this will help it retain power.
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