Dakshina Kannada Govt School Sells Areca Nut To Buy Bus, Ensures Safe Transportation For Students

A government school in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka has purchased a bus for students by selling areca nut grown on its land. The 26-seater bus will now bring students from distant places to school. The school, with a history of 112 years, owns 4.15 acres.

The school development and monitoring committee (SDMC), villagers, and teachers planted more than 600 saplings of areca nut in 2017. Last year, the areca nut started yielding. The school's farm is outsourced to the local farmers and through which the school gets Rs 2.50 lakhs annually.

After utilising the money earned from farm activities and selling areca nuts in the open market, the school bought a 26-seater bus, costing Rs 5 lakh, to bring students who live far away from the school. According to the school headmistress, A Soorja, the maintenance of the bus would be managed by the SDMC from the income of the areca nut farm.

School Bus To Help In Safer Transportation

Currently, the school has 118 children, mostly come from low-income families. Earlier to this bus, the school has no private transport facilities to bring students to school who live far away in remote areas. The introduction of a new school bus will now benefit such students.

The Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Puttur constituency, Sanjeeva Matandoor, flagged off the bus and lauded the efforts of school teachers, villagers, and SDMC. He mentioned that an additional room for the school had been sanctioned, and a concrete road would be made soon for ease of transportation, reported Indian Express.

The school headmaster, Saroja A, praising the efforts of all the stakeholders, said, "The bus could not have been purchased without the involvement of panchayat members, parents, villagers, donors, and school alumni who contributed significantly to the development of the school over time. Many students travelled to the school in rickshaws along a treacherous route. Because of the bus, around 75 students will benefit from safer transportation."

According to school officials, vegetables and fruits, including papaya, pumpkin, banana, and jackfruit, are also being grown on the four-acre farmland. The school would be using the same in making mid-day meals.

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