All schools to get textbooks in 20 days

BHUBANESWAR: The supply of elementary textbooks to all schools in the State is likely to be completed within the next 15 to 20 days. The State Government claims to have supplied around 90 per cent of the books to the districts and about 20 lakh books remain to be distributed. This year (academic session 2012-13), there was a demand for 2.52 crore books.Under the Odisha Primary Education Programme Authority (OPEPA), printing and binding was outsourced to 95 private printing press units and 112 private binders by the State-run Textbook Production and Marketing (TBPM).It was planned to distribute all the books before the beginning of the academic session, but there was delay due to short supply of paper. Paper for printing of the books was procured from West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh this year and the total requirement was 8,180 tonnes.TBPM Director Ashok Pattnaik said Andhra Pradesh provided its quota of 4,090 tonnes paper on time, but there was a shortfall of 1,425 tonnes paper from West Bengal due to machinery breakdown.In order to meet the shortfall, the State Government decided to procure the remaining paper from Andhra Pradesh. Pattnaik said accordingly, a request was placed with an  Andhra Pradesh-based firm for supplying 1,425 tonnes paper and the whole process got subsequently delayed by a month.“We have already printed and packed the remaining books and they will be sent to the supply points within 15 to 20 days,” the TBPM Director added.This year, 418 supply points were fixed by  OPEPA for distribution of books at block headquarters level and urban local body level. This apart, 49 sale centres were opened in different districts where books are being sold at 50 per cent discount to the students of private schools.Under the Sarva Sikshya Abhiyan (SSA), OPEPA is providing free textbooks to the students up to Class VIII. The supply of the textbooks, however, was reportedly irregular in several districts for the last several years.Besides the State’s requirements, this year 80,000 books have been printed to be sent to West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Jharkhand which have Odia medium schools.