KBPS Confident of Completing Textbook Printing in Two Weeks

KOCHI: Under fire for the delay in printing school textbooks, the State Government-owned Kerala Books and Publishing Society (KBPS), Kakkanad, which is in-charge of printing the entire textbooks of SCERT syllabus required by the students is confident of completing the task by June 20.

Officials said the total number of books to be printed in first volume edition of textbooks is 2.33 crore. “We have almost finished printing 1.73 crore books and the remaining  will be printed in other government presses in Thiruvananthapuram, Shoranur and Vazhoor,” said a senior officials.

He attributed the delay in printing this year  to the delay in getting the print order and the late arrival of printing paper. “Normally, we get the print order in September. But this time, we received the print order only in October. The paper arrived only in February, resulting in the delay,” the official said.

The books are being printed for the aided and unaided schools that follow SCERT syllabus.

Once the printing is completed the books will be sent to 14 hubs, one in each district.

From there through postal service the books will reach school societies. “In previous years too, such a delay had occurred but we could resolve the issue faster than the one being faced now,” said the official.