WORKING OVERTIME: Mechanics assembling the bicycles to be distributed to girl students, in Mysore on Friday. — PHOTO: M.A.SRIRAM

MYSORE: Girl students studying eighth standard in Mysore district eligible to get a bicycle, under the free distribution programme of the Government, may have to wait a little longer. The project to provide bicycles to girl students across the State was launched in Bangalore on Friday. Mechanics are working overtime to assemble over 12,000 bicycles needed for Mysore district.

According to sources in the Education Department, though the project was to have taken off on Friday, they were not sure when district-in-charge Minister H.D. Revanna would be able to launch the programme. Sources said the programme to distribute free bicycles to students might take place in the city on August 25.

A meeting to review the programme was held on Thursday in which the Mysore Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Chennappa Gowda and Deputy Director of Public Instructions Kemparaju participated. A total of 12,207 girls in Mysore district have been identified as beneficiaries of the programme.

According to sources, Atlas Cycles that was supplying bicycles to Mysore division had been assembling the parts at the shed made available to them in the office of the Joint Director of Public Instructions on D. Subbaiah Road. Sources in the Education Department told The Hindu that all the bicycles would be ready for distribution within a week. Sources said the bicycles were being simultaneously assembled in the respective taluk headquarters to ensure that they reached the beneficiaries at the earliest.

A total of 1,75,558 girl students across the State studying in eighth standard have been identified for the programme. The scheme to provide bicycles to girl students was announced by Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister B.S. Yediyurappa during his maiden budget speech.

Girls studying in eight standard and hailing from below poverty line families will benefit from the programme, which is aimed at addressing the problems faced by girls in reaching school. The programme hopes to increase the attendance of girls in schools.

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