AAP, BJP spar over textbooks for primary students

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled municipal corporations of Delhi (MCDs) of causing delay in placing orders and distributing books to students enrolled in primary schools

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled municipal corporations of Delhi (MCDs) of causing delay in placing orders and distributing books to students enrolled in primary schools. The BJP dismissed the allegation and said the AAP-led Delhi government is causing the delay.

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“The BJP-ruled MCDs have not yet started the tendering process or begun the procurement of books for seven lakh students in their primary schools this academic year. In 2020, the MCD provided the books to their students after a nine-month delay and in 2019, there was a delay of eight months. The AAP demands that the BJP ruled MCD should immediately, within 15-20 days, start the tendering, procuring and distribution process of books,” Durgesh Pathak, AAP leader in charge of municipal affairs.

The three MCDs in Delhi collectively have around 1,660 primary schools, with around 740,000 students enrolled with them, show MCD records.

Delhi BJP spokesperson Parveen Shankar Kapoor said, “The allegations are baseless. Pathak should know that MCDs never float a tender for procuring textbooks; they are procured and provided to MCDs by the Delhi government’s Delhi Bureau of Text Books which has not delivered the books till date. The payment for textbooks too comes from the government’s Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan; that came last week after a delay of 46 days.”

While the AAP is in charge of the Delhi government, the BJP rules the three MCDs. Delhi goes to municipal polls next year.