Rs 1,000 to each degree student for books!

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: The promise made in the 2019-20 State annual Budget for providing free-of-cost textbooks to students up to degree level is now being met with certain deviations. Instead of providing free-of-cost textbooks, the government is now going to pay Rs 1,000 to each of the degree students who have already bought their textbooks. Earlier, the provision of free textbooks was meant for students only up to HS level.

The State government had made the promise of providing free textbooks to students up to the degree level in all streams – Arts, Science and Commerce -- in the annual Budget of 2019-20. On December 23, 2019 the Department of Higher Education approved a guideline for the implementation of the free textbook scheme. According to the guidelines, maximum Rs 1,000 will be reimbursed to degree students against their books and the amount will be paid in the DBT (direct benefit transfer) system. The beneficiary students will have to give details of bank accounts to the authority. The Department of Higher Education has already sent a letter to all principals of colleges in the State in this connection.

Meanwhile, AASU (All Assam Students’ Union) adviser in chief Samujjal Bhattacharya expressed his resentment over the decision of the government to pay just Rs 1,000 to each of the degree students instead of providing them free textbooks. Speaking at the anti-CAA rally here on Thursday, Bhattacharya said, “We’ve heard that the government is going to pay Rs 1,000 to each of degree students for textbooks. We haven’t seen such a stingy government. It’s too meagre an amount. The amount should be sizable and all students should accept it. If they want to help students in buying books, they should give a certain amount. I appeal to the government to save money by not taking out peace processions in the State, and spend the funds for the purchase of books for students. I dare the Chief Minister and the Finance Minister to accept this as a challenge.”

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