Notices issued in textbooks printing case

LAHORE: Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza of the Lahore High Court on Monday issued notices to the provincial government and Punjab curriculum textbook board in a petition against alleged malpractices of the board in awarding contract to its own agencies and excluding the publishers from the development and publication of textbooks of class v, vi and vii.

The judge sought reply from both the respondents within two weeks. The petition moved on behalf of a publisher.The petitioner’s counsel Sheraz Zaka alleged that the board awarded contract to its own agencies and registered publishers in violation of Punjab procurement rules 2014 regarding printing of textbooks of class v, vi and vii.

He contended that by awarding contract to its own agencies and registered publishers in the printing of books was resulting in availability of textbooks at higher prices.He said had public procurement rules 2014 been followed the contract for books printing would have been awarded to the lowest bidder in free competitive bid.

He submitted that they had violated the Punjab procurement rules 2014 regarding printing of books by awarding work to its own registered publishers instead of floating a tender through open advertisement of printing of these textbooks.

He said that in future textbooks of class v, vi and vii would be available at high prices which would make education out of reach of the common man. He said that according to national curriculum textbooks and learning materials policy action and plan 2007 it was decided by the federal government that every possible step would be taken to make textbooks available at cheaper prices.

He asserted that according to national curriculum textbooks and learning materials policy action and plan 2007 it was decided by the federal government that every possible step would be taken to make textbooks available at cheaper prices. He requested to declare the awarding of contract to Textbook Board’s own agencies and excluding the publishers from the development and publication of textbooks null and void.