Holding School and Mass Education (SME) Minister Rabi Narayan Nanda responsible for black marketing of free textbooks provided under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) to students from Class I to VIII, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday demanded his resignation on moral grounds.
“At a time, when the school students of the State are yet to get free textbooks, books are being sold in the black market by a section of unscrupulous SSA officials, but the State Government is unable to provide the same citing transportation delay,” said AAP State convenor Nishikant Mohapatra.
Notably, the SME Department has lodged three separate FIRs at three police stations against some bookstore owners of Bhubaneswar in this connection.
“After public pressure mounted up, the Government lodged FIRs against the bookstore owners. But it is yet to order an inquiry against the concerned SSA officials, who are directly involved in the distribution of the books. Hence, we lodged an FIR at the Capital police station on Friday appealing to take the concerned officials in the purview of investigation,” said Mohapatra.