Minister Narayana Funds 10,000 Bicycles to Ease Student Commute in Nellore
Municipal Administration Minister Ponguru Narayana launched a personal initiative to provide bicycles to 10,000 government school students. The project aims to eliminate transportation barriers and upgrade regional educational infrastructure.
Private Funding Supports Public Education Access
In a direct effort to improve student attendance and mobility, Municipal Administration and Urban Development Minister Ponguru Narayana launched the first phase of a bicycle distribution initiative at the VRC Grounds in Nellore on Monday, July 27, 2026. The Narayana family is financing the project with 60 million rupees from their personal funds to assist 10,000 government high school students across city and rural constituencies. The initial rollout delivered bicycles to 7,000 children, with the remaining 3,000 units scheduled for distribution in January 2027.
Infrastructure Modernization and Academic Support
The Minister outlined a broader strategy to lift the quality of public schooling through substantial capital investment and corporate social responsibility (CSR) contributions. Current projects include:
- Upgrading VR High School to international standards through a 170-million-rupee CSR investment, currently serving 1,100 students.
- Modernizing 14 additional government high schools within Nellore.
- Constructing the Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam International School on Waqf Board land using 200 million rupees in CSR funding.
- Launching IIT Foundation training for government students starting August 1, 2026.
The Narayana Educational Institutions will also supply free study materials to students to ensure academic parity between public and private sectors.
Aligning Personal Vision with State Policy
During the event, Minister Narayana connected his philanthropic efforts to his personal history, noting that his father worked as a bus conductor and they lived in a hut during his youth. He explained that his motivation stems from witnessing the travel difficulties faced by students during his election campaign visits to 80,000 households. His daughter, Ponguru Sindhura, emphasized that the family’s objective is to reform local government schools into world-class facilities. The Minister reaffirmed his commitment to the provincial ‘P-4’ development programme initiated by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and recognized Education Minister Nara Lokesh for his ongoing reforms in the sector.
Source: The Hindu — News
