PONDA: Taking serious note of the recent accident at Balli involving a Balrath which left several students injured, parents from Ponda taluka have expressed serious concern over the condition of these buses and the safety of students.
They said that the government sanctions only Rs 50,000 annually on the maintenance of these buses and hence the school managements, which are reluctant to spend more, ask drivers to drive these poorly-maintained Balraths. They demanded that the government sanction Rs one lakh as annual maintenance on those buses covering a distance of around 100 to 150 km on a daily basis just to pick and drop students and introduce new buses in schools wherever needed.
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Nayan Naik, a resident of Kavlem said that school students as well as kindergarten kids are ferried in these Balraths to schools and also for educational programmes held at several places.
Naik said that due to growing inflation, the government should provide more funds for maintaining these Balrath buses and added that the annual sanction of Rs 50,000 is not sufficient for maintenance of these vehicles.
Expressing concern over the recent accident involving a Balrath bus at Balli, Suraj Garad, the PTA chairman of a school at Khandepar, said that these buses are 12 years old and some cover more distance to pick up and drop students. He demanded that the government provide more funds on the maintenance of these Balraths and introduce new buses in schools wherever needed.
Shivkumar Naik, General Secretary of United Balrath Employees’ Association said, “As per government guidelines, Balrath buses are meant for ferrying students within a five-km area. However, the students from far off places are picked up and dropped. On the other hand, the school management forces the drivers to also ferry kindergarten students. Hence, several Balrath drivers cover a distance of around 100 to 150 km on a daily basis just to pick and drop students, he said, adding that the government should sanction Rs one lakh as annual maintenance of these Balrath buses.
