Avinash Azad
Jammu, June 13: Official apathy of State Board of School Education (JKBOSE) is pushing the Board towards bankruptcy, as losses to the tune of around Rs. 5 crore are being reported in supplying of textbooks to various schools across the state.
Sources informed Early Times that JKBOSE provides books to various Government schools for the students from class 1 to 8th under Sarav Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA). "There was huge variation in actual manufacturing cost of per set of books for various classes and the Government approved rate for the books. In the year 2007-08 the state Government had approved rates for per set of books to various standards but after lapse of 6 years, their rates have not been renewed by the Government, inflicting severe financial damages to JKBOSE," sources said, adding that losses to the tune of around Rs. 4.70 crore has been incurred by JKBOSE annually.
Source further said that in the last six years, the losses to tune of Rs. 28.20 crores have been estimated by the authorities. "Many a times, BOSE authorities have even written to the state Government for renewal of approved rates, but so far nothing has been done by Government due to some unknown reasons", sources said, adding that Government approved rate of a textbook set of class 3rd and class 4th is Rs. 150, but the manufacturing cost for each textbook set is Rs. 220.
"For every textbook set JKBOSE incurs loss of Rs. 70. This year JKBOSE supplied 36,400 textbook sets of class 3rd besides 33,800 sets of class 4th to Kashmir division and if calculated, JKBOSE incurred loss of Rs. 49.19 Lakh", sources said.
The further said actual manufacturing cost of one book set of class 5th is 150 but the approved rate is Rs. 230 and JKBOSE incurs loss of Rs 80 per set while for class 6th the actual manufacturing cost is Rs. 340 but the Government approved rate is Rs. 250 and the difference is Rs. 90. "JKBOSE supplied 32,800 sets for class 5th and around 30,000 sets for class 6th to Kashmir division. As per estimate, BOSE incurred losses to tune of Rs. 53.38 lakh for supplying books for two classes", sources said. |
