JAMSHEDPUR: Around 60 parents of private English school students here took to indefinite fast in protest against the reluctance of the schools to introduce bus service for their children. The parents were sitting near the DC office since Thursday seeking intervention of the district administration to make the schools fall in line. On Friday, some of the protesters were taken to the sadar hospital after they complained of weakness.The parents said in the last one year, four incidents of eve-teasing schoolgirls by autorickshaw drivers and pick-up vehicles, and six incidents of children falling down from overloaded three-wheelers had been reported but the schools are not willing to introduce bus transport service."Out of the 40 plus private English schools in the city, only about nine have the bus service. The majority of the schools are not showing any interest in the matter," said RTE activist and convenor of Jamshedpur Abhivavak Sangh, Umesh Kumar, who is leading the agitation at the DC office.Kumar claimed the district administration officials have assured of instructing the schools to commence bus service eight times in the past but nothing substantial has progressed on the ground."Some of the schools that have newly introduced the bus service are charging Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,500 per month for every child which is a costly affair for the modest-income families," said M K Razak, one of the parents at the agitation site.A senior school administrator of a missionary school said introducing bus service under pressure from the administration is one thing but to continue it for long is difficult.

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