Neemuch (Madhya Pradesh): Students of CM Rise School in Neemuch district are facing commuting issues after 32 school buses stopped operating since Friday. The operation of these buses was halted after bus owners were not paid over Rs 40 lakh for 55 days. This has forced several children, especially from rural areas, to travel to school on tractors or private vehicles with their parents.
The CM Rise School initiative has been popular among both villagers and city residents, providing quality education and free transportation. However, the sudden stoppage of bus services has left parents worried about how to send their children to school. Many families are now using tractors to transport their kids, as they live 10 to 20 kilometres away from the school.
Om Prakash Meghwal, a tractor driver from Amavali Mahal village, expressed his frustration, stating, "We have children and it is our responsibility to take them. If the government stops the buses, we have to come and pick them up. We are leaving our farm work to do this." He mentioned that he has many children to transport, making it impractical to use a motorcycle.
Dinesh Nagda of Bisalwas village also shared his concerns. He said, "The bus service has been stopped without any prior notice. My village is 11 km away and we have to leave our farming work to drop and pick up our children. We cannot leave our daughters alone." He urged the administration to find a solution quickly.
CM Rise School principal Kishore Jain noted said out of 825 students, 490 rely on bus transportation. He said that the buses from Samaya Group of Bhopal have been stopped and that senior officials are aware of the situation. However, so far there has been no impact on attendance of students, said principal.
District education officer Sujan Mal Mangariya stated that a meeting with bus operators is underway to resolve the issue. He emphasised that the solution will need to be addressed at the state level.
