Meant to be distributed among students, 75 cycles dumped in classroom since September

Cycles are distributed to students who have to cover a distance of more than 2 km to reach their school.

New cycles dumped at Government Middle School, Bhelun.(Source: Express photo by Jaipal Singh)

AS MANY as 75 cycles, meant to be given free to class 9 and 11 students belonging to scheduled castes in the Morni block, are dumped in a classroom at a government middle school even as the academic session is nearing its end.

Cycles are distributed to students who have to cover a distance of more than 2 km to reach their school. Every year, the schools send their requirement to the Department of Secondary Education, which supplies the cycles through the district education office.

A Newsline team found the cycles at the Government Middle School, Bhelun. On investigation, it was found that the cycles have been lying there since September last year when these were supplied for distribution in schools in the Morni block.

Block Education Officer M S Sandhu said, “We received official letters last year from the DEO office, directing us to stop the distribution, as an inspection team was to visit the school and check the quality of the cycles.’’

But no inspection has since been done, and the cycles have not reached the students for whom these are meant.

Savitri Sihag, District Education Officer, said, “An inspection team will be sent soon, only then the cycles can be distributed.’’ Asked when the inspection would be done, Sihag replied, “I will look into the matter. The inspection will be carried out soon.” Since the cycles are lying in a classroom, headmaster Anil Kumar has another problem. “There is a paucity of space and we need the classroom,” he said.

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