The new academic session in the four districts of Karnali--Dolpa, Humla, Jumla and Kalikot--begins from mid-February each year.
Facing criticism over the delay each year in delivering textbooks to schools located in remote parts of the country, the government decided to allow the private sector to print and distribute textbooks for grade one to five while letting Janak Education Material Center Limited (JEMC) to continue printing and distributing textbooks for grade six to 10.
Since the government decision, the Printing Entrepreneurs' Federation has been overseeing the task. However, both the private as well as the JEMC haven't distributed the books to students in the remote districts of Karnali yet.
While the books printed by the JEMC are kept in the warehouse of its regional office at Surkhet Road, those printed by the private sector are left in a store at Karkado.
Meanwhile, Madhav KC, chairman of the federation, claimed that they have already s started handing over the books to local distributors.
"We are committed to make the books available to the students by the time their new academic session begins," said KC.
Ravindra Sharma, regional manager of the JEMC, conceded that the agency was lagging behind the schedule set for delivering the books. He, however, said that they are still trying to distribute the books in time.
School inspector of Mugu district, Lalitjung Malla, has little hopes that the books would reach the students on time. According to him, it takes months to distribute books in far-flung villages even after they are transported to the district headquarters.
"Transporting the books to district headquarters isn't a big deal but taking them to far-flung villages quite challenging," he said.
Books distributors in the districts said that it is going to be very challenging to distribute books in the coming session.
"It is already, too, late because the session is about to begin," said Purna Neupane, a book entrepreneur at Tripurakot in Dolpa district. "We would have distributed the books to students by now had we received them two weeks ago."
He said it takes at least 20 days to transport the books from Nepalgunj to Dolpa district headquarters and additional time to deliver them to remote villages.
Related story
Hamro Kitab: For the book-loving society
