West Bengal rebrand cycle scheme as Sarathi, targets 12.59 lakh students

The West Bengal government has rebranded its flagship student bicycle distribution scheme from Sabuj Sathi to Sarathi, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced. The initiative will provide cycles to approximately 12.59 lakh students, marking a continuation of the state's efforts to improve educational accessibility in rural and disadvantaged areas.

The decision to rebrand the scheme comes amid criticism of the previous implementation. Opposition leaders, including BJP's Suvendu Adhikari, have alleged that the earlier Sabuj Sathi programme suffered from quality issues, with substandard bicycles being distributed to beneficiary students. The new Sarathi scheme is expected to address these concerns while maintaining the core objective of providing two-wheelers to deserving students.

The Sabuj Sathi scheme, which translates to "green companion," was introduced to reduce school dropout rates by providing bicycles to students from economically weaker sections, particularly girls. The rebranded Sarathi initiative, meaning "charioteer," retains this social welfare objective while signalling administrative improvements under the current government.

West Bengal has a history of implementing student welfare schemes targeted at rural areas, where distance to schools remains a significant barrier to education. Officials stated that the Sarathi scheme would ensure better quality control and transparent procurement processes compared to earlier iterations. The government has set an ambitious timeline for distributing cycles to the identified 12.59 lakh eligible students across the state.