Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday reassured that no tender process would be involved in distributing scooties to meritorious students. Instead, students will receive them directly based on their preference—petrol or electric.
His clarification comes amid opposition concerns, particularly from the Congress party, which claimed that tenders for the distribution of scooties had not yet been issued.
On Wednesday, CM Yadav symbolically handed over keys to 10 students out of 7,900 who topped the Class 12 board examinations for the academic session 2023-24, conducted by the Madhya Pradesh Board of Secondary Education.
Following this, the Congress party, in a post on X, alleged that “only 50 students received scooties, while the rest only received approval letters, and the tender process is yet to be completed.” The post sarcastically referred to the CM as “Moscootyhan Yadav” and accused the government of misleading the public.
Responding to the allegations, CM Yadav told media, “I am happy that there is a conducive environment for providing scooties to meritorious students across the state. In the meantime, someone has spread misinformation that scooties will be given only after placing a tender. No tender will be placed; the students will receive their scooty directly according to their choice—either petrol or electric.”
He further emphasized that the students should take full advantage of this scheme and focus on their education. “Additionally, we are making all arrangements to provide laptops to students in a similar manner soon,” he added.
The Chief Minister reiterated his government’s commitment to student welfare. “I am happy that our state is progressing and competing with other states across the country. All departments of the state government have contributed to this development. I extend my greetings to everyone,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Abbas Hafeez criticized the government’s approach, alleging that there was neither a proper intent nor a clear policy in place for the scooty distribution.
“The government usually follows a due process through tenders to implement any scheme. However, for the free scooty scheme, the government is transferring a lesser amount directly to students’ bank accounts, which may not be sufficient to purchase a scooty. There is also a risk that the money may not be used for its intended purpose. This shows a lack of clear intent and policy,” Hafeez said.
Leader of Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, Umang Singhar, echoed similar sentiments, stating that the government should fulfill its promises rather than making ad-hoc announcements.
“We are not spreading any misinformation. There was no provision in the state budget for distributing scooties or laptops to meritorious children. When we raised this issue, the government suddenly announced it. As the opposition, we demand that the government deliver on its promises to students,” Singhar said.