BARIPADA: With just a week remaining for the new academic session to begin, short supply of textbooks for students from Classes 1 to 8 in government and government-aided schools in Mayurbhanj district has emerged as a roadblock.
Only 23.05 per cent of the required free textbooks have been supplied in the district which is the lowest in the state, according to government data.
While schools prepare to commence teaching for the new academic year from April 2, parents and students remain concerned about non-availability of textbook which can hamper learning.
According to data released by the Directorate of Textbook Production and Marketing, as of March 24, the total textbook requirement across the state stands at 2,73,82,050 copies. However, only 1,18,45,800 books have been supplied so far.
In Mayurbhanj, against a requirement of 18,41,650 books, only 4,24,500 have been delivered, just 23.05 per cent of the total requirement. This is significantly below the state average of 43.26 pc.
In comparison, Deogarh has received 74.26 per cent of its required textbooks, the highest in the state, followed by Koraput (68.21 pc), Sundargarh (63.16 pc), and Bargarh (60.91 pc). Even districts such as Ganjam (29.48 pc), Jajpur (29.57 pc) and Nayagarh (26.86 pc) have reported higher supply levels than Mayurbhanj.
The district has approximately 2,87,077 students enrolled in Classes 1 to 8 in government and aided schools. Mayurbhanj is the largest district of the state.