Kochi: Kerala High Court on Friday observed that the Kerala Books and Publications Society (KBPS) could arrange private firms to print textbooks at a negotiated price.
The court also directed the KBPS to file a statement explaining the progress of the textbook printing by July 15.
Pursuant to a directive by Justice K Vinod Chandran, KBPS submitted that a meeting was convened in the additional advocate general’s office on Thursday. In the meeting, two points were discussed.
The first was whether the KBPS alone would be able to complete the printing by July 20, to which it said it would be able to complete only nine lakh books.
The second point was whether the Manipal Technologies would be able to do the work at the KBPS rates. The printer’s representatives submitted that it would cost 25 percent extra besides the transportation charges and teh actual cost of paper.
According to KBPS, Solar Offset Printers, Thiruvananthapuram, and Abhimani Publications, Bangalore, responded and expressed willingness.
While Abhimani offered to print at the KBPS rates in addition to transportation charges for bringing the paper and delivering textbooks, Solar was willing to print at the KBPS rates besides delivery charges.
Hence, it was proposed that the printing work may be awarded to Solar. The government asked the KBPS to complete the printing by July 20 but the state-run printers said it would be able to complete only nine lakh textbooks of the remaining 21 lakhs and the balance job will be entrusted with other agencies so as to complete the work by July 20.
