Jaipur, May 27 -- Bharatiya Janata Party assembly member Phool Singh Meena started an initiative of air travel for tribal girl students who topped in government schools in his constituency, inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign. The initiative that began with three girls in the first trip in 2014 has spurred girls in Rajasthan's tribal areas to focus on their education. This year, 57 girl students who topped class 10 and class 12 exams in Meena's constituency, Udaipur Rural, were selected to travel by air to Jaipur. Last week, 30 of the girl students came for the first time to Jaipur by air. Meena bore the cost of Rs.4.5 lakh for the girls' air trip and travel in Jaipur. "There were 57 students selected but since we could not get tickets for all, I will bring the remaining students in the first week of June," he said. "My aim is to encourage girls to study so they can become self reliant. I was inspired by the PM's Beti Bahao, Beti Padhao campaign and thought about how to contribute to it. I didn't want to give them cash because they would spend it. I wanted something that they would cherish. So I began this initiative in 2014," said Meena. "I am glad that the thinking of parents and girls towards education is changing in tribal areas and they are seriously pursuing studies," he said. Meena himself had to drop out of school after finishing class 7 following the death of his father. After he became an MLA, his five daughters encouraged him to complete his education. He completed his class 10 and 12, then finished graduation and is now completing his post graduation from Janardan Rai Nagar Rajasthan Vidyapeeth, Udaipur. Meena has arranged six camps for girl students from his constituency since 2014. Initially, he opened it only for tribal girl students but girls from other communities also approached Meena to allow them. So, he decided to open the initiative to ST, SC, OBC and general category girl toppers in classes 10 and 12 in each of the 52 panchayats and 20 wards in his constituency. Sanjay Lunawat, principal of the government senior secondary school in Badi Undari, Udaipur district, feels the initiative by the MLA has borne good results. "The decision by the MLA to take the top students from each panchayat is welcome because even girls from remote areas are encouraged. If he had decided to take toppers only then girls in distant villages would be left out." He also linked the initiative to a dip in child marriages. "In tribal areas, parents generally get daughters married while they are still in school or as soon as they pass out. But with awareness and government incentives for girls' education, this has declined. The step taken by the MLA too has contributed towards this. Parents are allowing and encouraging their daughters to pursue higher studies," said Lunawat. The girls who travelled by air for the first time were an excited lot. During their daylong trip, they visited the Raj Bhawan and saw the Constitution Park. The students were thrilled to meet chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, several ministers, and they also visited the museum in the assembly premises....