MADHYAPUR THIMI: Janak Education Materials Centre (JEMC) is going to hike the price of textbooks effective from the next academic session. "We had not hiked the price of textbooks since 1999 but now we are compelled to do so as the prices of paper, ink and other printing materials had already shot up," Birendra Kumar Das, managing director, JEMC told The Himalayan Times, today. According to Das, the move would avoid losses incurring due to 120 per cent increase in the prices of the printing materials used in printing textbooks. “In this regard, we have already sent a letter to the Ministry of Education,” he said, adding, “As soon as the ministry gives its approval, the decision will be enforced.” The prices of textbooks, however, will be fixed soon after a discussion, according to him. JEMC annually purchases around 5,000 metric tonnes of paper and at the current rate of printing textbooks; they are incurring losses of around Rs 200 million. Currently, JEMC is printing textbooks at the rate of 22 paisa per page. JEMC was purchasing paper at Rs 55,000 per metric tonne in the past. But now they claimed that the same quantity of paper is costing them Rs 81,000. This does not include the prices of ink and other materials, which have increased sharply, Das said. When contacted, Lekhnath Poudel, deputy spokesperson for the Ministry of Education (MoE)confirmed that a proposal from the JEMC had been submitted requesting for the hike of textbooks' prices. "A final decision to this effect would be taken by the management committee of the JEMC, chaired by the Secretary of MoE,” he said. He also clarified that it was not necessary for the proposal to be approved by the MoE once the management committee finalises the prices of textbooks after a comprehensive discussion.