1.5 Lakh Sandipani School Students Yet To Get Bus Facility Across Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The students in 19 districts of Madhya Pradesh are still waiting for the promised bus services at Sandipani schools, nearly three years after the first phase of the programme was launched.

The school education department had assured parents that students shifted from nearby government schools will get transport facilities. However, the bus service is yet to begin in 125 Sandipani schools across these districts, leaving nearly 1.5 lakh students without promised facility.

About 2,500 government schools across the state were subsequently closed and merged with the Sandipani schools opened in the first phase. However, the facility has remained pending in districts falling under Jabalpur, Gwalior and Sagar division.

Transport tender stuck in files

The department had planned to conduct the bus tender process at the divisional level. The process was completed in seven divisions but could not be finalised in Jabalpur, Gwalior and Sagar division. The department later considered a centralised tender under which a single agency would operate buses for Sandipani schools across the state. The proposal, however, is yet to move beyond the tender process. About 3.64 lakh students are enrolled in Sandipani schools across the state. Of the 276 schools opened in the first phase, 125 schools in 19 districts are yet to get transport services.

The need for transportation became important after schools were merged despite provisions under the Right to Education Act requiring schools to be located within one kilometre for Class 1 to 5 and within three kilometres for Class 6 to 8.

Transport plan

The state government has planned nearly 1,000 Sandipani schools. In the first phase, 276 schools were opened. Most currently function from existing government school buildings, while construction of new buildings is underway at some locations. The department had planned to start transport services from July 2023. Under the proposed arrangement, students of Class 1 to 5 were to get transportation from within one kilometre of the school, while the facility would cover students of Class 6 to 12 from within two-kilometre radius.