Cycle supplier is arm-twisting me: Mandya DDPI

Bicycle company alleged to be supplying substandard products

Deputy Director for Public Instruction (DDPI) M D Shivakumar said, the Ludhiana-based supplier has been pressurising him to send the bicycle produced in his office (model) for quality check instead of a randomly selected one (sample) from those distributed among students.

In a letter, a copy of which is available with the Deccan Herald, written by DDPI Shivakumar to his higher officers, he has stated that Heaven Cycles Limited has supplied 17,002 bicycles to be distributed among 8,557 girls and 8,445 boys of eighth standard in government and aided schools of the district. “Bicycles have been distributed in some schools, while the process is under progress in the rest,” he added.

However, the beneficiaries complain that the bicycles, which were supposed to be distributed in June, the beginning of the academic year, are yet to reach them.

The bicycles were supplied only in December. The distribution process began in January, after assembling. The process is supposed to continue up to the end of the academic year. Meanwhile, there are complaints that the bicycles are sub-standard in quality.

As per rules, the department of Public Instruction has to randomly pick a bicycle, distributed to students in the district, which has to be replaced by the supplier, to be sent to the office of the Joint Director for Public Instruction, in Mysore, for quality check.

The DDPI said, the supplier has brought a bicycle to his office and insists that it be sent under the guise of the randomly selected product. “I am waiting for a reply to my letter. We will act according to the directions from the higher officials,” he said.