Kolkata: Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday launched the state government’s ‘Sarathi’ scheme to distribute bicycles to school students.
The scheme replaces the ‘Sabuj Sathi’ project introduced by the Trinamool Congress government previously in the state.
The Chief Minister also expressed concern over the excessive use of smartphones among school students.
Speaking at an event in Howrah district, Adhikari said the state government may replace its financial assistance for mobile phones to Class 11 students with grants for education-oriented tablets.
According to him, the government is considering the move following reports of excessive mobile phone use among students.
Adhikari said the previous government used to provide Rs 10,000 to Class 11 students in January to purchase mobile phones. He added that he had already asked the state Education Secretary and conveyed the matter to the minister concerned.
He said the government should begin considering the issue immediately and that, if necessary, it could provide additional funds to distribute education-related tablets instead of mobile phones.
The Chief Minister said he was strongly opposed to students using mobile phones in schools and maintained that the issue was causing serious harm.
He added that the government was giving the matter serious consideration.
School Education Minister Dipak Barman and Higher Education Minister Jagannath Chattopadhyay were present at the event.
The Chief Minister had raised similar concerns earlier this month.
Speaking at a Teachers’ Day programme on September 5, he said mobile phones had a significant negative impact on students and acknowledged that restricting their use could be politically difficult.
On Tuesday, he said that failure to introduce the proposed reforms could adversely affect the state government’s ability to guide future generations in the right direction.
(IANS)
