Scooty for Karbi Anglong students: Assam CM

GUWAHATI: In poll-bound Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC), chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday announced he would gift a scooty to every student, boy or girl, who cleared the Class XII boards with a first division (60% marks or above). Earlier, scooties were given to only successful girl candidates.
Boys from across the state for long have been demanding that they be included in the scheme and the CM's announcement indeed came as a pleasant surprise. Sources in the education department said soon students of other districts may also get included.
“In higher secondary if someone gets first division, all will get scooty. Girls as well as boys will get scooty,” Himanta announced in a campaign rally in Kheroni playground in Karbi Anglong.
In marathon meetings held in four venues on Wednesday, the CM went on making promises in response to student demands. In Kheroni, he promised a government college with diverse streams to pursue higher education. Elections to KAAC will be held on June 8.
“Overwhelmed by the public enthusiasm seen at our election rally at Kheroni, West Karbi Anglong, where I campaigned for BJP candidates Pawan Kumar and Rina Terangpi. Such love and affection reflect popular support for our candidates, which will lead to their victory,” he later tweeted.
The then chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal in January 2021 had said the state government was planning to distribute scooters to male students to motivate them to attend classes more regularly and infuse interest in studies.
Himanta earlier said the government would continue to give two-wheelers to girl students even if one lakh of them passed the Class XII board examination in the first division. In the 2020-21 financial year, over 22,000 girls benefited from the ‘Pragyan Bharati’ scheme, under which each of these girls, who secured first division, were beneficiaries.
Sarma in his meetings on Wednesday accused the Congress of neglecting the hill people in its three consecutive terms. “The hand has been cut off from the body. Now the hand does not work,” he said.