Bhubaneswar: A large number of bicycles of the Odisha government’s ‘Mo Cycle’ scheme which are lying unused at different places are likely to be given to women Self Help Groups (SHGs) and others.
According to sources, the government has reportedly decided to distribute the bicycles to women SHGs as well as transgenders and rag-pickers.
The Mo Cycles will be distributed among people engaged in different organisations under the state government’s Housing & Urban Development department, they said. Women SHGs and others are engaged in various activities of the department.
Senior officials of the department dismissed speculation that Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) was contemplating distribution of these cycles among slum children in Bhubaneswar. Most of the bicycles of the Mo Cycle initiative have been lying unutilised in the state capital.
It may be recalled that the state government had launched the Mo Cycle scheme in the capital city in November 2018 as part of the civic authorities’ effort to promote environment-friendly communication among the residents.
Over 1,800 cycles had been purchased by the Capital Region Urban Transport (CRUT) under the programme. Around Rs 25,000 had been paid for each bicycle. Three private agencies were roped in to manage the public bike sharing (PBS) system and maintain the cycles.
However, the initiative could not be successful as it failed to attract users and most of the bicycles procured under the scheme gathered dusts at various places in the city since 2018.
