Textbook printing responsibility to be entrusted to Sajha Prakashan

KATHMANDU, Feb 17: Education Minister Dhaniram Poudel has said Ministry is preparing to entrust the responsibility of printing school textbooks to the Sajha Prakashan as Janak Education Materials Centre Limited (JEMC) has not yet managed to print.

The education minister, while addressing the interaction program organised by Federation of Nepal Books and Stationery Business (FNBSB) today, said the responsibility of printing the remaining school textbooks would be given first to the Sajha Prakashan and then to the private sector publishers.

He added that policy decision would also be taken soon regarding the management of the textbooks distribution.
“The textbooks should reach in the schools before the start of the new session. A master plan will be prepared and implemented regarding adjustment of textbook price and managing printing at the regional level.”

JEMC which has the responsibility of printing textbooks for Grade 6 to 10 for the academic year has so far printed only 60 percent of the required textbooks. The private sector has been assigned the responsibility of printing and distributing textbooks of Grade 1 to 5. The new academic year starts from April 15.

Federation chairman Hari Aryal on the occasion handed over a memorandum to the Education Minister. The memo, among other things, calls for providing the cost of transporting and distributing textbooks last year which the federation was yet to receive from JEMC.

JEMC and Sajha Prakashan are both state-owned corporations. RSS