Kathmandu, October 28

Students are unlikely to get their textbooks on time as Janak Education Materials Centre, which prints textbooks from Grade I to X, has failed to meet its target for the new academic session.

For the past few years, private printing firms have been allowed to print textbooks from grade I to V. Thus, JEMC has been printing textbooks from grade VI to X only.

While the private printing firms have been supplying textbooks on time, the JEMC has almost always failed to meet its target.

JEMC has said it has halted printing of textbooks since June 28 due to shortage of papers.

Kapil Pokharel, director, Administration Directorate, JEMC, said around 450 staffers at JEMC central and regional offices have been left without work. He stated that printing of textbooks can resume only after the dispute over the price of printing papers is resolved.

He stated that the JEMC has already received 200 tonnes of paper, but that they are not in a position to use them due to dispute over price.

JEMC needs to print 20 million units of textbooks for 600,000 students from grade VI to X.

“If JEMC fails to meet its target , Sajha Prakashan will not be able to distribute textbooks across the country,” he said.

Dolidra Sharma, general manager, Sajha Prakashan, said that textbook distribution had been affected due to crisis of petroleum products.