Imphal, March 09: You might have listened to radio jingles, seen TV commercials and gone through newspaper displays promoting Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, a flagship programme to provide free and compulsory education to children in the age group of 6-14 years.

Under this programme, among many provisions, Government provides free text books to girls, SC and ST students at primary and upper primary level.

However, major chunk of these books do not reach the children of Manipur as there are officials in the State Education Department who sell off these books to book stores and individuals for private earnings.

Under its campaign Operation New Kangleipak (ONK), the proscribed KYKL pulled up two middlemen and one book store owner involved in selling off the text books which are to be distributed free under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.

The two middlemen are identified as Khuraijam Ibomcha (36) s/o K Ibobi of Khurai Thoudam Leikai, Laishram Somorjit (34) son of L Nimai of Khagempaplli Nganappi Thong and the book store owner as Maibam Dhane (45) son of (L) M Ibotombi of Nambol Kongkham.

The three persons were paraded before the media today by a team of ONK at a place somewhere in a hill district.

Ibomcha bought the books from one Oja Koireng, who is the DI of Chandel district and supplied them to Somorjit, and he distributed the books to various book stores including Dhane's.Starting the business in 2006, Ibomcha admitted he had sold nearly 20,000 books during these three years.

He also sold the books to various book stores charging only 50 percent to 55 percent of the print rates.

Ibomcha added that he bought the books from Koireng at 80 percent discount.

Accepting that he also erased the SSA seal printed on the books using ink remover, Ibomcha disclosed that the book stores where he had supplied to as Leo Agency, Paona Bazar, RK Book House, Pologround, Sharma Book House, Paona International Market, RD Book House, Lamlong Bazar and Paona Book Store, Lamlong Bazar.

Middleman Somorjit admited that the books bought from Ibomcha were supplied to CI Book Store, Nambol, Nandini Book Store, Bishnupur, Romi Book Store, Moirang, IR Book Store, Canchipur MU Gate and RD Book House Lamlong Bazar and one Rashid Ali of Kouta.

Saying that he had sold nearly 1000 books meant for SSA, Dhane who runs MI Book Store, Nambol said that he bought the books from Somorjit with 30 percent discount.

Speaking to the media, ONK commander Maj Wangba said that according to their faults, the trio could be awarded with capital punishment.

However, they would be handed over to their respective families as they apologised the party for the crime and promised not to repeat such activities again, he added.

Wangba asserted that the amount which has been collected through this black business by the trio would be used in various students' welfare and party activities.

He also warned all involved in this business to surrender to the party within one week.

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