Tamil nadu govt to provide free bicycles to ITI st...

CHENNAI: In yet another pro-students initiative, the government in Tamil Nadu on Friday proposed providing free bicyclesto over 21,000 beneficiaries studying in state-run Industrial Training Institutes.

Chief minister allocated Rs 6.36 crore for providing bicycles "free of cost," considering the fact that a large number of students in ITIs hailed from economically poor background, an official release here said.

This was in line with an existing scheme of providing bicycles to school students who cover considerable distance to reach their institutions, the release said, adding, the proposed move will benefit 21,925 ITI students.

The government is already providing a slew of sops to school and college going students including supplying free laptops, touted to be a key programme of the government.