Guwahati, May 7: The Assam government today ordered a probe to determine why textbooks meant for free distribution among students had failed to reach the respective schools. The move comes at a time when the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) has launched a monthlong agitation, demanding streamlining of the education system.
Education minister Pankaj Bora told newspersons here that he had deputed 17 officers in the rank of deputy director from the headquarters to the districts “to fix responsibilities and detect discrepancies and ascertain why the books have not reached the schools”.
“I have also ordered an inquiry into why the district elementary education officers and district mission co-ordinators had not reported the non-receipt of textbooks earlier,” he said.
AASU activists had last week ransacked the office of the Asom Sarba Siksha Abhijaan Mission in protest against the non-distribution of textbooks, especially among students of Classes I to IV. The student activists even threatened to take more “aggressive” steps if the textbooks were not distributed immediately.
Accusing the AASU of blowing the issue out of proportion, Bora asked the student leaders not to politicise the issue. The minister said against the total requirement of 2.16 crore books, only 3.13 crore books had been printed.
“It would have been more effective and result-oriented if the AASU leaders had come forward to assist the state government in monitoring the whole exercise of textbook distribution from February itself, especially since the procedure of distribution had been widely publicised in the media. I am deeply hurt by their conduct,” Bora rued.
While there were problems in distribution of books for Classes V to VII in eight districts, new syllabus books meant for Class V students were in short supply, too. According to official reports, there was free distribution of books for Classes I to IV.
Distribution of free textbooks among students from Classes I to VII began after the AGP came to power in 1985. The minister said the shortfall in books ranged from 15 to 20 per cent in Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Nagaon, Sonitpur, Goalpara, Karbi Anglong and Bongaigaon districts.
The minister said students of Class VII had not received books on social studies in Nalbari district. There is also a demand for Class V English textbooks in Kamrup, North Lakhimpur and Cachar districts.
Bora said it was a tough job for the government to print and supply books in 14 languages.
“Assam is the only state in the country where textbooks are printed in more than 10 languages,” he said.