Howrah, September 29, 2026: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday inaugurated the state government’s ‘Sarathi’ bicycle distribution programme at Madhusudan Pal Chowdhury High School in Batra, Howrah. The programme replaces the earlier ‘Sabuj Sathi’ bicycle scheme and introduces changes in the eligibility and design of the bicycles.
Under the Sarathi scheme, 12.59 lakh students are set to receive bicycles during the 2026–27 academic year. The government has also announced that students will now become eligible to receive bicycles from Class VIII instead of Class IX.
The new bicycles feature changes in colour and design, with the government stating that greater emphasis has been placed on quality and safety. According to officials, the bicycles have undergone quality checks covering components including tyres and lights, with road safety also being taken into consideration.
Following the inauguration, Adhikari interacted with students at the school and joined them for the Mid-Day Meal. He sat alongside the students, shared the meal and spoke with them during his visit, adding a student interaction segment to the launch programme.
The Mid-Day Meal programme provides nutritional support to schoolchildren and is intended to encourage regular school attendance and participation in education.
The Howrah event therefore brought together two student-focused activities the launch of the Sarathi bicycle distribution programme and Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari’s participation in the Mid-Day Meal with school students.
