A textbook case of demand-supply gap

Students in the district will have to wait some more for the pre-university textbooks as the distributors have been unable to procure according to the demand.

Deputy Director of Pre University Education K.R. Thimmaiah said there has been a shortfall in supply and he added that arrangements had been made for the books to be supplied from Wednesday. Textbooks for Arts, Science and Commerce streams will be available at the School Book Company store on Car Street and the Bookmark outlet on K.S. Rao Road. “We have to get textbooks related to about four subjects,” he said.

Representatives from the School Book Company and Bookmark said availability of textbooks was far short of the demand. The former said while they have placed demand for 30,000 text books, they have so far received only 5,000 text books. “When we call officials say they will be supplying text book shortly,” he added.

He said this was the first time such a delay had occurred because of the time taken to finalise new text books. The Bookmark representative said their orders were limited and the same had been supplied. These text books were related to Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology subjects and some related to Commerce stream, which have been sold. Seeing the demand, they have placed orders for more text books. “We do not know when the same will be supplied,” he said.

Meanwhile activists of Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishat carried out demonstration against delay in providing textbooks for students pursuing first and second year pre-university courses on Tuesday.

Addressing the protestors, ABVP’s City unit Secretary Chetan said students were facing problems because of absence of textbooks in the market. The State government should have supplied more than 45 lakh text books for more than 9 lakh students doing the pre-university course. The government has failed in its duty in supplying of text books, he said.

Mr. Chetan said State government should take action forthwith to resolve problems and ensure supply of textbooks in the next few days.