Bengaluru: Students seek free bus passes, threaten agitation
Christin Mathew Philip | TNN | Feb 2, 2019, 22:21 IST
BENGALURU: Ahead of state budget, students from various colleges staged a protest at Mysore Bank Circle on Saturday demanding free bus passes for all students.
All India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO), which organised the protest, threatened a state-wide agitation if chief minister HD Kumaraswamy fails to consider their plea.
“Kumaraswamy had stated in the 2018-19 budget speech that he will carry forward all the schemes of the previous Siddaramaiah government. However, he betrayed lakhs of students across the state without implementing the free bus pass scheme,” said an AIDSO leader.
“Students at government schools in rural areas are the most affected because of the delay in issuing free passes. When the previous Siddaramaiah government announced the free bus pass scheme in the budget, then why this coalition government is delaying it,” said Aiswaraya S, a student.
Government officials said free bus pass scheme for all students from primary school to post-graduation level will cost the exchequer an additional Rs 650 crore.
Currently, free bus passes are given only to scheduled caste and scheduled tribe (SC/ST) students. However, general students pay 25% of the bus pass fee. In the 2018-19 budget, then CM Siddaramaiah announced free bus passes to 19.6 lakh students in the state. But the scheme did not take off as the finance department is yet to earmark and sanction the fund required.
All India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO), which organised the protest, threatened a state-wide agitation if chief minister HD Kumaraswamy fails to consider their plea.
“Kumaraswamy had stated in the 2018-19 budget speech that he will carry forward all the schemes of the previous Siddaramaiah government. However, he betrayed lakhs of students across the state without implementing the free bus pass scheme,” said an AIDSO leader.
“Students at government schools in rural areas are the most affected because of the delay in issuing free passes. When the previous Siddaramaiah government announced the free bus pass scheme in the budget, then why this coalition government is delaying it,” said Aiswaraya S, a student.
Government officials said free bus pass scheme for all students from primary school to post-graduation level will cost the exchequer an additional Rs 650 crore.
Currently, free bus passes are given only to scheduled caste and scheduled tribe (SC/ST) students. However, general students pay 25% of the bus pass fee. In the 2018-19 budget, then CM Siddaramaiah announced free bus passes to 19.6 lakh students in the state. But the scheme did not take off as the finance department is yet to earmark and sanction the fund required.
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