Girl students to get free transportation soon: CM

Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Jhajjar, April 16

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Monday that the Chhatra Parivahan Suraksha scheme would be launched for girl students this year to provide them free transportation to their educational institutions. Under the scheme, the Education Department would arrange private vehicles to ferry girl students to their schools or colleges, considering their safety.

Khattar made this announcement while addressing a gathering after launching the Jagriti project meant for the safety of girls. He gave away a reward of Rs 1.5 crore to Commonwealth Games gold medallist shooter Manu Bhaker on the occasion.

Wrestler Bajrang Punia’s father Balwan Singh and another wrestler Sumit Kumar’s mother Sunila Singh were also honoured for the medal-winning performances of their sons in the just-concluded Games. Bajrang and Sumit both belong to Jhajjar district and are yet to return from Australia.

“The Chhatra Privahan Suraksha scheme has been formulated keeping in mind risks to girl students while they commute to their educational institutions. Villages that have no bus facility will benefit from the scheme. Girl students in a group can give an application to their school or college head to avail of the scheme. Auto-rickshaws or buses, according to the requirement, will be provided to them free of cost,” said Khattar.

He said that his government was committed to ensuring the safety of women and girls in the state and hence taking effective steps in this direction. The government was also mulling over forming Durga Shakti Force comprising policewomen to check crime against women. The plan would be finalised soon, he added.

Manu Bhaker felicitated

Shooter Manu Bhaker was felicitated at her native Goria village in the district on Monday for winning a gold medal in the just-concluded Commonwealth Games. Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Abhay Singh Chautala, Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda and Jhajjar MLA Geeta Bhukkal attended the function and blessed the 16-year-old shooting sensation.

Deepender said that he had requested Union Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore for a shooting range of international standards at Manu’s native village. He announced to provide Rs 21 lakh from his MPLAD fund for it.

Later, the MP, while talking to mediapersons, said that on the one hand, the BJP government claimed that every sportsperson winning a medal in international tournaments would be given a reward, on the other, several of them were yet to get the reward even several months after winning medals.

Earlier, schoolchildren enthralled the gathering by presenting a colourful cultural progamme.

‘Manu, have you checked you bank-balance’

Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar made everyone laugh when he asked Manu Bhaker that whether she had checked her bank balance? "I have not presented you just a piece of cardboard in the form of a cheque. The cash reward of Rs 1.5 crore has been credited to your bank account. There is standing instructions to the state sports authorities that the reward amount should be transferred to the bank accounts of sportspersons immediately after their felicitation," he said. He asked Manu to check her bank balance after the function.