Gujarat Launches 28 'Rannshala' Buses as Mobile Classrooms for Salt Pan Workers' Children

Gandhinagar: Gujarat government has launched 28 buses which would operate as schools on wheels across the far-flung areas of the Little Rann of Kutch (LRK) to reach out to children of the seasonally migrating salt pan workers.

These buses, called 'Rannshala', were flagged off by Gujarat deputy chief minister Harsh Sanghavi from Gandhinagar as part of the state government's 'Shala Praveshotsav' campaign, on Tuesday.

The project is a joint venture between the education department's Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan and the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC), and intends to bring children between 6 and 14 years from salt pan worker families who are also known as Agariyas in Gujarat.

The Agariyas migrate into the deserts of LRK for eight months each year, starting after the end of monsoons, where they put up salt pans and stay in adjoining temporary huts and tents for the year.

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The initiative involves using the otherwise unusable buses from the state transport corporation and transforming them into functional classrooms, equipped with 43-inch smart TV, Dish TV connectivity dedicated to educational channels, FM radio, digital clocks, and specialised learning aids, LED lighting systems, wall fans, portable study tables, flexible seating arrangements, and foldable outdoor shade nets to expand the classroom space outside the bus.

A purified drinking water system, integrated washbasins, dedicated water storage tanks, a separate cabin for the educator and a built-in library space are also part of the package. These buses are equipped with a 3.8 KVA off-grid solar power plant, capable of operating the bus for up to 48 hours without an electricity connection.

These buses will also carry digital weighing scales, height measurement systems, BMI charts for monitoring children apart from some recreational facilities.