Finally, after six months of commencement of the academic year, the bicycles to be distributed among schoolchildren have reached Kodagu district.
The class 8 students who have been waiting for the bicycle will finally be able to use them soon. The bicycles are yet to be distributed in Madikeri and Virajpet taluks and the work on fixing the parts of the cycles is in progress.
The parents, however, said that the students would have been benefited if the bicycles were distributed at the beginning of the academic year.
The exams will be held in March and the summer holidays will commence from April. What is the use of distributing cycles at this point in time? questioned parents.
The state government has envisaged the distribution of bicycles for class 8 students only. Barring seven schools with 104 students in Somwarpet, all the other 1,333 students have been given their bicycles. However, they are yet to be distributed among 1,200 students in Madikeri taluk and 1,260 students in Virajpet taluk, said DDPI Macchado to DH.
The work on fixing the parts of bicycles was completed in Madikeri while it is in progress in Virajpet, he added.
There was a delay in the arrival of bicycles following landslides and the natural calamity that hit Kodagu district in the month of August. Only after the parts have been fixed will the bicycles be distributed among the schoolchildren, said the Block Education Officer.
Parents said that Kodagu is a hilly region. The villages lack bus facilities. Road connectivity had been affected following landslides. Had the bicycles been distributed at the beginning of the academic year, it would have benefited hundreds of students in rural areas. However, the Education Department has failed in providing the benefits to the children, said parents.