BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 21st June 2025: The Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) has threatened to launch a statewide agitation over the prolonged delay in the distribution of school textbooks across government schools in the state.
In a press release issued on Saturday, TPCC president Asish Kumar Saha criticized the BJP-led state government for what he described as “administrative failure and indifference” toward the education of children from economically weaker sections.
“Even after two and a half months into the academic session, thousands of students have not received their textbooks. This situation reflects a total breakdown in the functioning of the Education Department,” Saha alleged.
He took direct aim at Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha, who also holds the education portfolio, claiming that private school students — including children from affluent families — had already received their books, while students in government-run institutions continued to suffer. “This is the third year in a row that the textbook distribution has faced such delays,” Saha pointed out, calling the crisis a “shameful episode” in the state’s education history.
The TPCC president also raised concerns about alleged irregularities in the printing and supply process, accusing the government of repeatedly awarding contracts to the same underperforming agency.“There appears to be a systemic issue and possibly a deliberate attempt to undermine public education,” Saha said. He further questioned whether this recurring failure was in line with a broader, more troubling interpretation of the New Education Policy, aimed at marginalizing poor students.
Saha claimed that the Congress party has been receiving complaints from across the state, especially from rural and remote areas, where schools are yet to receive the necessary textbooks. “The delay has brought public education in Tripura to the brink of collapse,” he stated.While warning of a statewide agitation if the situation is not resolved soon, Saha added that the Congress remains open to cooperating with the government — provided there is visible commitment toward meaningful reform.
