27 lakh students to get free bus pass

CHENNAI: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Monday launched the free bus pass scheme for school and college students for the current academic year, by issuing free passes to seven students at the Secretariat.This year, 27.2 lakh students across the State will benefit from the scheme, which will cost `303.84 crore to the exchequer.In the last academic year, 26.3 lakh students from classes I to XII, special schools for the disabled, government arts and science colleges, government industrial training institutes and polytechnics were given free bus passes.The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) had issued 3.4 lakh free bus passes to city students last year.This year, it will give out passes to 3.6 lakh students.Jayalalithaa has already instructed officials to visit all schools and colleges, for photographing and issuing the passes there.The chief minister also gave away cash awards to students of the Government Service Home Girls’ Higher Secondary Schools for scoring high marks in Plus-Two examinations.