The management of a tea estate in Alipurduar introduced a school bus from the garden on Monday, much to the elation of students.

Over the past few months, around 60 students of Mujnai, a tea estate in Madarihat block, had been demanding a bus service.

Last November, the students met the local BDO and the district magistrate in Alipurduar and demanded a school bus service.

They said they needed to cover a distance of 12km on bicycles to reach schools and return home. Students also said they had to pass elephant crossing zones, forest areas, tea plantations and streams. It gets especially tough for them to travel during monsoon, the students had said.

They had voiced the demand a number of times at the tea gardens. On May 14 this year, some of them launched a march to Dooarkanya, the district collectorate, from the garden, which is around 60km away.

As they walked out ofthe garden and walked around 8km, the police and officials of the block administration intervened and assuredthe students that their demands would be met within a month.

Finally, on Monday, the tea company that owns the garden introduced the bus service.

The students enthusiastically greeted the 42-seater yellow bus in the garden.

“It is indeed great news. Many of us couldn’t attend classes on time because we had to cycle so far. Some of us were even thinking of leaving school. From now on, we can go to school every day without any inconvenience,” said Reshmi Minj, a Class IX student of the garden.

Anindya Bagchi, the garden’s manager, sounded happy.

“The bus service will benefit students of the garden. We will bear the entire cost and it is a completely free service,” he said.