Rajya Sabha MP Mahesh Poddar has suggested establishing a book bank in schools or making funds for books available through DBT in the bank account of students instead of providing free books to the students in government schools. Poddar has written a letter to the Education Minister of Jharkhand Dr. Neera Yadav regarding the issue.
The MP has said in his letter that in sted of providing money through DBT to the students for buying books the State government has planned to distribute books to the children and a tender has also been invited for the same. The pattern of giving funds to the girl students for free dress, bicycle etc in their bank accounts has been very successful and this experiment was much appreciated.
Poddar has suggested that a book bank can be set up in every government school in place of printing and publishing new books every year and instead of spending crores of rupees of public money in this process. Receiving all the students' books of the current session from this book bank and returning it to the end of the session which came to the students of the next session. This will not only stop the wastage of crores of rupees of public per year but also protect the environment, the students will become more responsible.
He said that if the government thinks it better to provide printed books to students, then it may keep the system of transfer of funds in the account of the students. Publishers can be instructed only to make available publishing courses and to make them available in the open market.