Text book under SSA will be made available within March – Education Minister

Imphal, Feb 20: Books under SSA will be made available to all the students of the state from March 1 to March 31. This was stated by Education Minister Th. Radheshyam while replying to a calling attention motion moved by Congress MLA K Ranjit.
K. Ranjit while drawing the attention of the house said that new report appeared at Huiyen Lanpao daily paper said that till now students of the government schools which are entitled to get free books, bags etc have not get books issued under SSA till today. Session had already began, and as the books are available in book store rich parents of students studying in private school are getting it when students who can’t afford the private schools and studying in government school from class 1 to class VIII still are depriving the right to education as books are not provided till today.
Replying to the concern of the MLA K Ranjit Singh,Education Minister Radheshyam said that books cannot be completed publication as one of the major paper supplier for printing of books the Hindustan Paper Ltd had stopped supplying of papers for printing of books. The education Minister also stated that as only one bidder come in the first e-tender notification the e-tender has to be repeated twice which delayed in starting the printing of the books.
However, he said that the books are ready now and will be distributed to students in between March 1 to March 31.