Not amused, DESAM tells Govt to act
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 06 2011: Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) has demanded the State Government to take up appropriate action against the private printing firms requisitioned for printing the prescribed text books under the Board of Secondary Education, Manipur and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan for not bringing out the text books in time and making them available to the students.

Addressing a press conference at the head office of DESAM today, secretary general of DESAM M Angamba pointed out that the problem of non-availability of text books prescribed under the Board of Secondary Education, Manipur is not a new thing and said that the root cause of the problem lies in the fishy dealing of the Board in allocating the contract works of printing the prescribed text books to inept private printing firms.

Angamba disclosed that Wizard Computer, a private printing firm located at Sagolband, had been given the contract of printing 15 prescribed text books of the Board.

But the said printing firm has taken the responsibility of printing only six text books while giving out sub-contract to other firms for printing the remaining text books.

On the other hand, though the Board had issued the work orders for printing 200 copies of the Hindi text book prescribed for class VII in favour of a private printing firm located in Yaiskul as well as another 200 copies of Manipuri Sahitya Tamba in favour of a computer centre, also located in Yaiskul area, the two private firms seem to have no knowledge about the work orders, Angamba said.

He further pointed out that in case of another private printing firm, the Board had given the work order for printing 20,000 copies of text books.

But the said firm have failed to deliver the text books.

It is said that the total number of text books for class I to X prescribed by the Board is 190 and the Board has given the work orders for printing these prescribed text books to 62 private printing firms.

On the alleged irregularities of the Board in allotting the work orders for printing the text books, Angamba pointed out that most work orders have been issued in the month of February although the printed text books are supposed to be delivered to the Board by March 21 .

On the other hand, the text books under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) have been provided to the students on time as the papers required for printing these text books were not made available to the Board in time and the work orders for printing them have not yet been issued till date, Angamba lamented.

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