Activists say BMC has failed to provide free bus rides to the students of DN Nagar civic school
Over 200 students of the DN Nagar Municipal School have to travel in a cramped bus and sometimes pay for the ride too, due to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) failed initiative of providing free bus service to these students. These students who are residents of Siddharth Nagar in Andheri are enrolled under the DN Nagar school — which is over three km away from their place of residence — in the absence of a secondary school in the locality.
For the last few years, local activists and NGOs have been demanding bus service for students. In October this year, the BMC announced free bus service to over a lakh students in the city following which the BEST started plying buses from Siddharth Nagar to DN Nagar starting December 5.
However against the requirement of four buses —two for the morning shift and two for the afternoon — only a single bus has been plying on the route. With this, students have to travel in a cramped bus, which possesses a great risk to their safety.
Ghanashyam Sonar, convener of Saman Shikshan Mulbhut Adhikar Samiti and who has raised the issue with the BMC, said "This is a sheer violation of Section 8 of the RTE act. If the corporation cannot provide a school nearby, they should at least provide good transport."
Shubhada Gudhekar, Chairperson of the BMC Education Department said: "I am not aware of such a complaint."
"There is only one bus which comes to pick the children in the morning. There is none in the afternoon session and children have to walk the entire stretch as they cannot afford any other transport" said Jai Mati, a local activist.
ONLY PROMISES
- In October, the BMC announced free bus services to over a lakh students in the city following which the BEST started plying buses from Siddharth Nagar to DN Nagar starting Dec 5
- However, the students have not got what they had been promised by the corporation
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