Patna,(BiharTimes): Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, who held a review meeting of the education department with Education Minister Brishen Patel recently, hinted at revisiting 75 per cent attendance provision to avail benefits of the of bicycle, uniform and scholarship schemes.

The three schemes incur annual expenditure of about Rs 2,800 cr that also includes Central fund.

The 75 per cent mandatory attendance for students to avail benefits was implemented two years ago. The state government is likely to remove the provision from 2014-15.

While all categories of students from Class 1 to 8 having 75 per cent attendance are entitled to benefit of uniform, scholarship is given only to OBC and SC/ST students. Bicycles are given to Class-IX students.

According to reports the Chief Minister has sought a report from education department on removing the attendance provision that was implemented after the state government detected 20 lakh ghost admissions to avail the benefits.

After the implementation of attendance provision, there had been 30 per cent drop in beneficiaries of these schemes.

The state also decided that students passing Plus-2 with first division will get Rs 25,000 as encouragement and SC/ST girls will get the same amount for passing in second division.