Delay in issuing SSA text books to students ; CM blames paper supplier
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 20 2018: Textbooks which should be given to students free of cost under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) could not be made available in time as the Hindustan Paper Corporation Limited stopped supplying paper (for printing textbooks) abruptly.

Moreover it took some time for the authority concerned to verify the exact number of students against lists of inflated number of students submitted to them, stated Chief Minister N Biren in the State Assembly today in response to a call attention motion raised by Opposition Member K Ranjit about the State Government's failure to make text books available to students under SSA in time.

N Biren stated that there are people who have been using students/education as business commodity.

They enlisted fictitious names in the list of students.

Text books, uniforms and bags are provided to students of Classes I to VIII free of cost under SSA, Ranjit pointed out.

Even though the current academic session started from January 15, students have not been given text books.

The matter demands a thorough enquiry, Ranjit said.

Children of poor families study in Government schools for they cannot afford private schools, Ranjit pointed out.

He went on to ask whether the Education Minister did not notice that Government school students have not given text books till date.

The Right to Education Act has a provision of giving free education to students from Classes I to VIII, stated Education Minister Th Radheshyam.

The Project Approval Board (PAB) of the Ministry of Human Resource Development usually hold its annual meeting in the month of March.

The number of students admitted for the current academic session and other requirements are tabled at the meeting.

The Ministry sanctions necessary funds after the meeting and it usually releases funds in April/May.

Only three text books are given to students of Classes I and II under SSA, five text books to students of Classes III to V and nine text books to students of Classes VI to IX.

The task of printing these text books is entrusted to the Board of Secondary Education Manipur and it is usually done after the sanctioned money is handed over to them, Radheshyam said.

These text books were made available to students in May in 2013, March in 2014 and 2015, April in 2016 and June in 2017.This system needs modification, asserted the Education Minister.

For the current year, the process of distributing text books would be completed by March 31.Order for supplying paper (for printing text books) was issued to Hindustan Paper Corporation Limited but it abruptly stopped supplying paper.

Subsequently, fresh tender was held but only one firm responded.

As such, the tender was held for the second time but again only one firm responded to the tender notice.

The same tender was held for the third time and three firms finally submitted tender bids.

As the paper quality of the text books is not good enough, the State Government has been considering to give text books of good quality paper to students in time from next year, Radheshyam said.

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