HYDERABAD, April 13: Anomalies are said to have taken place in procurement of paper for printing of textbooks by the Sindh Textbook Board (STB). The companies or firms which were awarded contract for supply of papers, have defaulted though they have been given advance payments. As a result, the books and their titles have not been printed or are still at planning stage.

The ultimate sufferers are students of government schools who depend on distribution of free of cost books under a European Union-funded programme.

Information collected through STB-related sources revealed that a payment of Rs44,939,401 was made to a Lahore-based firm for procurement of 1412.33 metric tons of white wood-free printing paper with a size of 22x32/68 and 23x36/68 at the rate of Rs74,900 per metric tons by way of an agreement signed on June 28,2010.

Under the agreement a schedule of procurement and payment was also devised.

According to schedule, sources said, 500.010 metric tons of paper costing Rs60,844,116 was supplied for the month of June last year.

Two subsequent consignments of 299.996 metric tons for July and 299.996 metric tons for August remained pending. Of them only 18.010 metric ton was, however, supplied.

“An amount of Rs44,939,401 has been paid to the firm in advance which is not as per required procedure”, said the source.

He added that for supply of September’s consignment of 312.001 metric ton order for purchase of payment at a cost of over Rs20 million has been placed to another Lahore-based firm without following required procedure of tendering.

The source added that the security deposit that had been given by the firm was around Rs10 million each.

“For supply of title (cover of book) 984.001 metric ton paper was to be supplied by another firm which is given payment although not a single metric ton is supplied by it”, he claimed.

The source said that STB is arranging title cover through some other sources to be supplied to publishers, registered with the Board. The publishers are asked to get paper from market for printing books.

The books under free distribution scheme are not handed over to EDOs of education department so far. STB insiders said that incomplete titles are being provided.

“In some cases either two or four titles are short. The delivery of books sent for Shikarpur lacked four titles”, said the source.

STB Chairman Mushtaq Shahani maintained that proper procedure for payment towards procurement of paper is adopted and the mill had failed to supply paper on account of load shedding of gas for which notices were issued to them.

“No advance payment is given to any mill”, he insisted, dismissing allegations of irregularities. He added that the Board authorities are acting accordingly.

He said that everything that is part of tender document is being followed and the firms had submitted security deposit which is with the STB.

The academic session in schools has begun from April 12. Hyderabad has around 1100 schools, including primary and secondary.

According to EDO education Niaz Leghari, books up to grade-V have been provided to schools while those pertaining to secondary schools are yet to be given to EDO office for onward distribution.

STB books that are part of syllabus in private schools remained in short supply, too, and parents and students are returning empty handed from book shops. According to a book store owner, initially not a single book was made available in open market and still parents are coming and books are yet to be supplied to the stores.

“I don’t have off-hand information whether Board officials made online payments or advance ones but a proper procedure is laid down for payment regarding procurement of paper and that has to be followed. It calls for on the spot examination of paper and then payment through demand drafts”, said Qazi Asad Abid, a sitting member of STB’s board. He said that board members are taking the matter seriously. According to sources, STB officials had obliged a firm involved in massive financial scam in purchase of water marked paper previously, by allowing it to participate in the biding and was given contract instead of being black listed.