West Bengal will distribute bicycles to 12.59 lakh students during the current academic year under the state government’s rebranded Sarathi scheme, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced at a school programme in Howrah on Tuesday.
The scheme replaces the previous government’s Sabuj Sathi programme and is intended to help students travel to educational institutions. Adhikari said the government would also allocate land in Howrah for a facility to manufacture what he described as high-quality bicycles.
“We will allot land to set up a facility that will manufacture high-quality cycles in Howrah. As many as 12.59 lakh students will get bicycles this academic year under the Sarathi scheme,” he said, according to PTI.
The announcement links student mobility with local manufacturing and school-level funding. The chief minister said Rs 300 crore had been allocated as a composite grant for schools under the Sarathi scheme, although the report did not provide details on how the grant would be distributed or how the proposed manufacturing facility would be established.
Adhikari also criticised the previous Trinamool Congress government’s implementation of Sabuj Sathi, alleging that students had received “substandard” bicycles. The report did not include a response from the TMC to the allegation.
The chief minister further announced changes to student support measures. He said the government would provide scholarships to students from all communities, after accusing the previous administration of favouring a particular community. The report did not specify the revised scholarship amounts, eligibility criteria or implementation schedule.
The government will also discontinue the earlier provision of Rs 10,000 for higher secondary students to purchase smartphones and mobile tablets, Adhikari said. Instead, students would receive a higher amount to buy learning materials, though the revised amount and the form of assistance were not disclosed.
At the same programme, Adhikari said the government would seek to revive National Cadet Corps units in educational institutions. He said he had spoken to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh about the matter and linked the proposed revival to students’ physical fitness and national safety. The report did not identify the schools where NCC units would be restored or provide a timeline.
The bicycle distribution programme places school access and student transport within the state’s wider education-support system. For students who travel to school from areas with limited public transport, the number of bicycles promised and the timing of distribution will determine how quickly the scheme affects daily commutes. The government has not yet provided further operational details in the announcement reported by PTI.
The next steps are the allocation of land for the proposed Howrah manufacturing facility, distribution of bicycles during the current academic year and clarification of the revised scholarship, learning-material assistance and NCC implementation plans.
