Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, on Wednesday, approved a new initiative to provide free bus transportation for schoolchildren throughout the state, an official statement released by the School and Mass Education Department informed.
The initiative, implemented under the Mukhyamantri Bus Seva (MBS) scheme, will allow all schoolchildren to ride buses for free. To be eligible, the students must present a valid ID card or be in their school uniform, the notification stated.
The decision in this regard was made in a high-level meeting chaired by the chief minister on August 21.
As part of the plan, the Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) will revise its bus routes and timings to serve the largest maximum number of schools possible. District education officers will provide the necessary data for re-mapping routes, according to the statement.
The commerce and transport departments will allocate budget to compensate OSRTC for the revenue loss, the statement added.
