2 weeks ago
1
Textbooks required by students successful clip for school reopening successful Kerala connected June 1 person been printed, Director of General Education N.S.K. Umesh has said.
Mr. Umesh was responding to caller reports of delays successful printing and binding of textbooks successful Thiruvananthapuram connected Tuesday.
The Kerala Books and Publications Society (KBPS) had announced that it had completed printing of 2.8 crore first-volume textbooks required for the 2026-27 world twelvemonth for Classes I to X.
However, the INTUC-affiliated workers’ national astatine the KBPS had alleged that printing of lone 2.85 crore textbooks of the people bid of 3.58 crore had been completed, and 71,54,476 textbooks remained to beryllium printed. Furthermore, binding of lone 2.48 crore textbooks had been completed. Binding of implicit 1.08 crore textbooks remained.
K.K. Ibrahim Kutty, president of the KBPS Staff and Workers Union (INTUC), said the unit could hindrance lone 3 lakh textbooks a day. “No mode would they beryllium capable to implicit the binding of the remaining textbooks by June 1,” helium said.
He pointed fingers astatine KBPS president and managing manager Sunil Chacko for the situation. “He should person got the erstwhile Left Democratic Front authorities to wide the funds owed to the KBPS and ensured insubstantial procurement for printing the textbooks,” helium said.
The KBPS plant, helium alleged, was closed owing to deficiency of insubstantial proviso from Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Ltd..
Charges denied
Denying the charges, Mr. Chacko said textbooks would scope schoolhouse societies by May 26 astatine the latest. Of the full people bid of 3.58 crore, 24% was for enactment books. These excessively would scope schools successful the archetypal week of June since their printing excessively was nether way.
He, however, admitted a lag successful binding owing to the hold successful printing of screen leafage but said it was making progress.
Mr. Chacko said helium was assured that textbooks would scope schoolhouse societies 3 oregon 4 days earlier this twelvemonth than they did past year.
Supply of insubstantial from Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Ltd. had resumed connected May 9. The 2nd instalment of the pending dues to the institution would beryllium released successful a mates of days, Mr. Chacko said.
Mr. Umesh clarified that of the full people order, 76% were the titles required by students erstwhile they reached schools connected June 1. Those had been printed and their organisation was on. Printing of enactment books which would beryllium required successful the 2nd week of June would beryllium completed successful the archetypal week, helium added.
He pointing retired that each day, 6 lakh textbooks were reaching textbook hubs. “There volition beryllium nary contented successful completing the organisation by May 29 oregon 30.”
