Education Minister faces text book fiasco music
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 27 2011: Along with boycotting the Education Minister for his failure to ensure availability of school text books in sufficient quantity, AMSU, MSF, DESAM and KSA have decided to dispatch a memorandum to the Union Human Resource Development Minister informing that the SSA scheme has been totally botched up in Manipur.

Speaking to media persons at KSA office today, representatives of the four student bodies said that they would boycott the Education Minister for his failure to make text books available in adequate quantity and on time, his inability to take action against responsible officials and his failure to black list the defaulting press.

The social boycott would be enforced from June 28 and it would remain until further decisions.

Notably, the four student bodies have been campaigning since May 3 to make text books available in sufficient quantity.

In the course of their campaign, Education Minister DD Thaisii reportedly assured that text books would be made available in sufficient quantity by June 25, and befitting action would be initiated against responsible officials.

He also reportedly assured to black list the printing press which could not meet the deadline as well as to appoint a regular Chairman for the Board of Secondary Education Manipur in place of the existing in-charge Chairman.

But none of his assurances have been put into action till date, the student bodies lamented.

AMSU general secretary Dipanjit said that out of 11.5 lakhs of text books which should be distributed to students under SSA this year, only around 7 lakhs have been distributed so far.

DESAM assistant general secretary Arambam Thoithoi remarked that SSA scheme is a total flop in Manipur in terms of text book distribution.

Nevertheless, other components of the scheme like construction of buildings and supplying food items have been going on quite normally as these activities mean contract works of huge amount.

MSF general secretary Anash Shah informed that social boycott announced the four student bodies would encompass Principal Secretary (Education-S), Education Director and SSA officials in addition to the Education Minister.

He also sought full cooperation of the public to their decision for social boycott.

KSA vice-president Th Premananda rued that the students of the State are unable to enjoy any benefits of the Right to Education Act.

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