Govt withdraws decision to retender textbook printing

Thiruvananthapuram: The State government has withdrawn its earlier decision to retender the printing of the school text books, state education minister P.K Abdurabb said on Saturday.

“The government decided to withdraw the decision after it was found that the retendering process would cause further delay in the textbook printing,” the minister told reporters.

“The Kerala Books and Publications Society (KBPS) has been asked to finish the printing at the earliest. The textbooks are expected to be distributed by July,” he said.

On Wednesday, the Lok Ayukta had ordered an inquiry into the delay in the printing and distribution of school textbooks in the state.

The UDF government had come under severe criticism for the delay in textbook printing with the the Left Opposition raising corruption charges against the move to hand over the printing of school textbooks to a private press.