Text Book delivery by Department of Post

KOCHI: The Department of Posts will this year deliver textbooks to various societies that route them to schools in the State. Textbook depots had been doing the job earlier.

India Post, Kerala, has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Kerala Books and Publishers Society (KBPS) that publishes the entire lot of textbooks for State schools.

The delivery of textbooks had been a problem as various agencies had been taking up the endeavour each year and many complaints cropping up owing to delays.
The printing of these textbooks, along with the first volumes of books for classes I to IX, had been completed months ago. It is the first time that the KBPS has been entrusted with not just printing but also delivery of the books.

Special system

As the quantum of cargo is huge and destinations many, the postal department has devised a special system for delivery, Mr. Job said.

The entire lot of class X textbooks, weighing about 1,100 tonnes, and also the first volume of textbooks for classes I to IX will be delivered before the start of next academic year, he said. The 3,200 cooperatives of textbook societies in the State are the target delivery destinations, he added.

The first consignment picked up by the postal services was for Thodupuzha and Kattapana in Idukki district, a difficult terrain topographically. The non-delivered books from textbook depots of the Education Department were also picked up.

The first lot would be delivered to the post office warehouses in Kattapana and Thodupuzha, from where these would be delivered to the various textbook societies under which come a group of schools in the area.

The work involves picking up books from the KBPS in Kakkanad and combining it with the lot available in textbook depots and then delivering it to the respective school societies.

All the Class X lots will be picked up by Monday and delivery will be completed by April-end, Mr. Job said.

The second phase will be to pick up the first volume of books for classes I to IV, after which comes books of classes VI and VII and lastly those of classes VIII and IX will be picked up. All books will be delivered before the start of the next academic year, he said.