Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], July 21 : Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi have gifted students from the remote, interior and hilly tribal districts of the state with timely and safe transportation facilities for commuting to schools and colleges.
According to the release, "Under the Bhagwan Birsa Munda Janjatiya Gaurav Parivahan Seva, CM and DyCM flagged off 139 new buses from Gandhinagar. These new buses have been deployed in tribal areas through a joint initiative of the State Government's Tribal Development Department and the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) at a total cost of Rs. 33.84 crore."

Under this initiative, the State Government has announced the allocation of 250 buses at a cost of Rs. 72 crore to provide convenient transportation facilities for tribal children and youth living in remote, inaccessible, and hilly regions, enabling them to commute easily to schools and colleges located far from their places of residence.
On November 15 last year, on the occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the first 111 buses under this scheme from Dediapada in Narmada district for the benefit of students in tribal areas.
"Today, under this initiative, CM Aand DYCM flagged off an additional 139 buses for different parts of the state. More than 4,100 tribal students are expected to benefit from these bus services for commuting to schools and colleges. Besides ensuring transportation, the initiative will also promote girls' education and higher education. It is expected to improve regular attendance in schools and colleges while reducing dropout rates," the release said.

In addition, students will receive timely and safe transportation from their homes to schools and back. All buses under this initiative are equipped with GPS for real-time monitoring. A web portal will also provide daily updates on the names of students travelling on the buses, bus pass numbers, routes, schools, and village details. After school and college hours, these buses will also be made available to people in tribal areas under a revenue model.
The first 111 buses flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi under the initial phase of this scheme have benefited a large number of students from the state's tribal districts. During the 2026-27 academic year, around 5,700 students are availing the benefits of the service.

The event was attended by Tribal Development Minister Naresh Patel, Minister of State for Transport Pravin Mali, Ministers of State P. C. Baranda, Jayram Gaomit, and Ramesh Katara, Members of the Legislative Assembly from tribal areas, Chief Secretary M. K. Das, senior secretaries of the concerned departments, and other officials.