DHANGADI, JULY 7

Students are yet to get textbooks even though the new academic session started two months ago in Sudurpaschim Province.

Around 60 per cent books have been supplied so far. Teaching-learning activities in schools of the province have been affected as Janak Education Material Regional Office, Dhangadi, failed to supply textbooks on time. Entrepreneurs have even padlocked the office demanding that textbooks be supplied on time.

A businessman at Lamki Kailali, Turja Bahadur Bogati, said the education materials office had not supplied textbooks on time and discriminated against the province. He said the textbooks were being sold in the black-market. 'The distribution system is unfair,' he added. He said students were compelled to buy the books at expensive rate. According to book seller Tek Bahadur Sha in Achham, the textbook crunch persists every year.

'There is shortage of around 40 per cent books in the district,' he said. Sha added that the same problem had repeated as in the previous year. 'The crisis brings misunderstandings between schools and businessmen,' he said. He further said they could not provide enough textbooks to the schools due to insufficient supply in the district. More than 40,000 books are needed to meet the demand of textbooks.

Meanwhile, Book and Stationary Entrepreneur, Sudurpaschim Province Chairman Mekh Raj Dahal said the number of textbook supplied was far less than the demand. He added that they had protested for the same.

Janak Education Materials Centre Spokesperson Chitra Kumar Acharya claimed that the textbooks would be sent to the province as per the demand.

He assured that the textbooks would reach the province by Sunday.

A version of this article appears in the print on July 8, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.