Children studying at government schools in the state will be deprived of two major schemes during this academic year.
Following the fund crunch and not setting aside funds in the budget, the department of School Education and Literacy has decided not to distribute free shoes-socks and bicycles for children during this academic year.
Top sources from the department told DH that this year the concentration of the department is to improve the quality of education which was hit due to Covid-19 pandemic in the last two years. "Along with improving quality, we have decided not to distribute free cycles and shoe-socks as there is no funds provided in the budget," explained an official.
Every year the department used to spend Rs 140 crore to provide one set of shoes and two pairs of socks to over 50 lakh children in grades 1 to 10. Bicycles were distributed to grade 8 students and the scheme was started mainly to avoid drop out rate at the rural part.
During 2020-21 and 2021-22 the schemes were not implemented due to pandemic and closure of schools. But the distribution of free bicycles was stopped even a year before Covid.