Over 10,000 Odia students studying in Classes-I to X in three bordering districts of Andhra Pradesh are facing problems in reading for the last one month as they have not been given Odia books yet.
According to information, the Odia schools reopened on June 12 in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Vishakhapatnam districts. But students have not yet been given Odia books that are supplied to them free of cost by the Odisha Government. Such a situation has arisen as the Andhra Pradesh Government has delayed publishing Telugu books for distribution among over 8,000 Telugu students studying in different south Odisha districts. Odisha and Andhra Pradesh exchange books for distribution, sources said.
Teachers and parents have demanded that the Odisha Government send Odia books soon without waiting for the Telugu books.
According to information, there are 179 Odia primary, upper primary and high schools operating in Srikakulam district and five Odia schools in Vizianagaram and Vishakhapatnam districts. While primary and upper primary students are given 15,288 Odia textbooks, high school students are given over 6,000 books every year. Though the Odisha Government has already printed the books, the distribution has been delayed because the Andhra Pradesh Government has delayed printing Telugu books.
The teachers have also demanded that primary and high school textbooks be supplied by the State Government at one take so that they would not run to Deputy Inspector Office often.