Dhangadi, May 26

Although the new academic session began two months ago, students in the far-west region have not received school textbooks.

Almost all districts of the region have been reeling under textbook crisis for grades VI and VII. “We cannot get the textbooks for grade VI and VII,” said book seller Dik Bahadur Mahara of Dipayal, Doti. He said that he had gone to Janak Education Material Center many times, but in vain.

While some students in Kailali, Kanchanpur, Dadeldhura and Doti have received books from a limited stock, many students are still without books. Students of far hilly and mountainous districts go to stationery shops daily, but are forced to return without books.

Book seller Gaurilal Khadayat of BP Nagar, Doti said that textbooks like Moral Education and Health Education for grade VI and VII were very difficult to get. “I am fed up of going to the Dhangadi-based JEMC again and again,” he said.

Chief of JEMC regional office Yogendra Prasad Bhatta said that the concerned authority is yet to provide textbooks as per the demand.

“We can only provide books to stationery shops and bookshops once the central office sends them to us,” he said. “We have been demanding the sufficient number of books,” he added.

Bhatta claimed that the office has already distributed as many as 16 lakh books for nine districts of the region. He added that the current demand is of more than 18 lakh books.