Gov decides to re-tender printing works of textbooks

Thiruvananthapuram: The cabinet has decided to re-tender the printing works of textbooks as only one firm responded for the earlier bid notification, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said here Wednesday.

Re-tender process would be done soon and textbooks would be distributed to students without further delay, Chandy told reporters during cabinet briefing.

Chandy said 80 per cent work of printing textbooks for the current academic year has been completed. Out of about 2.35 crore textbooks required for the year, printing of 44 lakh is pending.

Move of the government to handover to private parties, by overlooking government press, the work of printing remaining textbooks had invited the ire of LDF Opposition which alleged that it was a deliberate attempt to favour certain private agencies.

Stating that there was no ulterior motives behind the move, he said even now, the printing works is going on at the government press. Decision to engage private agencies was taken as it came to notice that government run printing press would not be able to deliver on time', he said.

On other decisions, Chandy said the term of the Agriculture Debt Relief Commission would be extended by further three years. The cabinet ratified the government order on May 25 last extending the tenure of Kerala State Agriculture Debt Relief Commission.