The CAG, in a report, has found that the BJP government's Saraswati Sadhana Scheme to provide bicycles to adivasi girls to enable them to attend school has not served its purpose. The scheme aimed at improving literary levels has resulted in excess spending, the report says.

The report says: ``Irregular implementation of the scheme to provide bicycles by the Social Welfare and Tribal Development Department resulted in unfruitful expenditure of Rs 1.91 crore.'' Under the scheme, bicycles were to be provided to girl students from standard VIII to X during 1995-96 -- the period when the Keshubhai Patel government assumed power. Initially, Rs 4.86 crore was granted to the Tribal Development Commissioner.

The government decidedto buy more than 59,000 bicycles -- at Rs 1,200 each -- for which Rs 7.10 crore was earmarked in the budget for 1995-96. After scrutinising the records CAG found that of the 59,147 cycles bought by 19 District Social Welfare Officers, nearly 16,000 cycles were given to girls after they had taken their SSC examinations.

The CAG states: ``Supply of bicycles after they left school defeated the purpose of the scheme and resulted in unfruitful expenditure of Rs 1.91 crore.''

The Hero Cycles were purchased through Gujarat Small Industries Corporation (GSIC), though it is ``neither a manufacturer of cycles nor authorised dealer of Hero Cycles.'' The reason cited was ``emergency''.The report says during 1996-97, 24,448 cycles were purchased from dealers of Hero Cycles at Rs 1,137 per cycle. The purchase of cycles through GSIC at Rs 1,195 and Rs 1,215 resulted in excess expenditure of Rs 38 lakh.