Odia school students in Surat left in lurch over text books shortage

Surat: Total 4,600 students of seven Odia medium schools run by the Odisha government in Surat of Gujarat are left in lurch due to unavailability of text books this academic year.

Teachers of the seven Odia medium schools are, therefore, providing last year text books to students for practice.

Shyam Sundar Puhan, assistant headmaster of one of the schools, said, “At present last year books are given to students. Though two months of the academic year have passed, text books are yet to be provided to students.”

Alleging negligence on the part of the Odisha government, Hasmukh Patel, chairperson of the Nagar Nigam Sikhya Samiti, Surat, said, “Text books in Odia medium are usually brought form Odisha. However, despite repeated reminders the State government has not provided text books to the seven schools.”

The State government officials were unable to comment on the issue.