Tamil Nadu - Chennai   

2.4 lakh students will benefit

By Divya Ramamurthy

CHENNAI, MAY 18. More than 2.4 lakh school and college students in the city will benefit from the State government's decision to issue free passes to all students, including those of private educational institutes, said an official of the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC).

From June 1, all school students, from Class 1 to 12, can avail themselves of the free bus pass to travel from home to school and back. Similarly, college students will be issued 50 per cent concessional passes.

This announcement revokes the Government Order of May 29, 2003, that limited the issue of free passes only to government and government-aided schools and colleges. Because of the order, the MTC issued only 1.3 lakh passes last year.

"We are expecting at least 2.4 lakh students to apply for the passes. As the number of schools and colleges have increased in the last year, we are expecting a lot more students to avail themselves of the pass this year compared to previous years," said the official.

The passes will now be valid on all holidays apart from Republic Day and Independence Day. City students will also be issued 60 tokens instead of 40 to travel in MTC buses. However, the price of each token will remain at Rs. 2 per token, says an official. Before the Government Order of May 2003, the cost of each token was 70 paise.

MTC officials say the process of computerisation for the passes in city schools and colleges will begin in the first week of June and conclude by mid-August. MTC is requesting school and college authorities to send them the list of students applying for the pass by June 15.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu

News: Front Page | National | Tamil Nadu | Andhra Pradesh | Karnataka | Kerala | New Delhi | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary | Updates: Breaking News |

Stories in this Section

• Delay in Harrington Road subway work affects vehicle users, pedestrians
• `Cholera outbreak restricted to few Corporation divisions'
• SHGs showcase their products
• 2.4 lakh students will benefit
• Uncleared garbage puts post office staff to hardship
• Woman alleges dowry harassment
• Private firm burgled
• Four youths drowned in Madipakkam lake
• Around the City
• In Chennai Today

Copyright © 2004, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu