KARACHI, April 20: The Sindh government has stopped funds meant for free of cost textbooks, to be distributed among the female students of classes VI to VIII, studying in elementary schools of the province, this year , sources in the Education department revealed.

A source said that the distribution of free books to elementary school students in the province was initiated last year, and as such about 160,000 sets of books were distributed among all the female students and some of the male students.

However, this year, no relevant development had been observed pertaining to provision of free books, while the academic session had already commenced on April 1, and many students had purchased some of the course books, the source added.

Distribution of free textbooks among the female students has also been a project activity under the Decentralized Elementary Education Project (Deep), which has been effective for last one year under a loan agreement between the Sindh Government and the Asian Development Bank.

The Deep is aimed at curbing not only dropout ratio in the existing as well as project schools, but also at reducing poverty in the province. Insiders said that when the Deep initiated in regard to free distribution of books last year, the Education department came out with the notion that the government should not rely on loan amount as far as the books were concerned and it should reappropriate its expenditures under other heads.

With the approval of relevant authorities, the Sindh Education department finally directed the STB to provide books to female students in elementary classes as well, which was materialized some time in August, 2003, a source in the STB said.

However, despite supply of books to the female students in elementary schools in 2003, the STB had not been provided with an amount to the tune of Rs22 million so far, and that was why preparation of books for the 2004-2005 academic year had not been initiated this year so far, the source added, saying that officials had decided not to print the books in question unless 50 per cent of the total cost of books was handed over to the STB in advance.

When contacted, a senior official at Deep directorate here, said that though the free supply of books to female students was included among different components of the project, there was no development at Deep in this regard so far.

Referring to his recent talks with the ADB mission in this regard, he maintained that he had been told that financing under Deep for books was stopped as the Sindh government had informed the mission in October last that the government itself would be bearing the cost of books.

When the mission was apprised of the situation in the wake of government's decision to stop further funds for the ongoing academic session, it offered to reconsider the issue, provided the Sindh Planning and Development department approached the ADB, the Deep official added, saying that the Sindh government was likely to move the ADB for the purpose of books.

This year, if every thing goes in right direction, Deep would be placing order for about 136,000 sets of textbooks for Classes VI to VIII, which would be supplied to the female students. The distribution of free books for classes in question is estimated to cost Rs24.5 million to the ADB, under the Deep, a source said.