​​Late buses, lost lessons: How a state human development scheme is failing Hingoli girls

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Every morning in parts of Hingoli district, the school day begins with a wait for a bus that may come late, or not at all. The bus service, which was meant to be a bridge to education under the state’s Human Development Mission, has, for many girls, turned into a daily struggle against time and uncertainty.Delayed, irregular and, in some areas, non-functional school bus services as part of the state’s Human Development Mission in Hingoli district have begun to directly disrupt girls’ access to education, triggering protests and sharp criticism from students, parents and school authorities.In Aundha taluka, the bus arrives late every day. In Sengaon, the service has not started even two weeks into the academic year.

Alleging that the unreliable transport is harming their education, girls from Sendursena, Mardi, Waghi and Shingi villages staged a road blockade on Monday. In Sengaon, affected families had earlier submitted a memorandum demanding immediate resumption of services.“We miss morning assembly and early lectures almost every day. After picking up students from our village, the bus collects students from other villages before reaching the school considerably late,” said a student of Shri Shanti Vidya Mandir in Shirad Shahapur.

Her school starts at 7.25am. The bus reaches her village at 8.30am.“The distance between the bus stand and our school is around half a kilometre and the foot journey causes further delay. Ideally, the bus should drop us at the school,” another student said.School authorities backed the student. They said they have repeatedly raised the issue, but little has changed. “Our demand is that the bus service be operated on schedule, that students be dropped directly at the school, and that an alternative bus be provided whenever the regular vehicle is unavailable,” said principal Prashant Kale.The Manav Vikas (Human Development) Mission, aimed at improving human development indicators in backward districts, mandates transport support specifically to ensure girls can access education. However, the current gaps have undercut that objective, fuelling frustration on the ground.Anil Kamble, district president of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, said the situation justifies the students’ protest. “The implementation of the Human Development Mission is falling short of its intended objective of ensuring timely and safe access to education for girls.

Besides academic loss, students are also experiencing unnecessary mental stress,” he said, demanding strict monitoring and immediate corrective measures.Facing mounting criticism, the district administration has assured action. “The instructions will be issued to avoid delays in the bus service in Aundha. The education department has submitted a proposal for starting the bus service in Sengaon, and it will be approved,” said Hingoli collector Rahul Gupta.