Two months on, BBMP students yet to receive uniforms, bags

BENGALURU: It’s been nearly two months after classes started, but over 17,000 students of 155 Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) schools and colleges are still waiting for study materials. While officials claim the work order has already been issued to a supplier, items like uniforms, bags, notebooks and shoes are yet to reach students.
A student of BBMP Higher Primary School in Pulakeshinagar said she is struggling to carry her books to school every day. “There is no way we can use the bags provided to us last year. Their quality is poor. The zips wore off within a month and for the rest of the year, I had to use safety pins and clips to make the bag usable,” she rued.

A BBMP school principal admitted: “Our students use plastic covers, torn and cloth bags to bring books. Children keep asking us for bags and we are forced to give false promises that they’re coming any time soon.”
“Our school gives notebooks at the beginning of the year and delays distribution of bags, shoes and uniforms. We cannot play in the school ground without shoes and we wear the same old clothes which have actually shrunk in size,” rued a student of BBMP higher primary school in Bengaluru South.
Problem will be solved in 10 days: Mayor
Officials claimed the work order was issued to a supplier of education materials a month ago and distribution of notebooks began on July 17. Student of BBMP Higher Primary School in Pulakeshinagar, however, hadn’t got notebooks till Sunday.
BBMP standing committee (education) chairman Imran Pasha said he’s not sure whether the students have received their study materials or not. “I’ll look into the issue and recommend action against the contractor if the materials haven’t been delivered,” he added.
Mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun said the issue will be resolved in 10 days. “We will see to it that students do not face this problem from next year,” she added.
Sources said for three years now, delivery of educational materials to students is being delayed. “Students of pre-primary, primary, high schools, PU and degree colleges are affected and many of them are using uniforms and shoes distributed to them in the previous year,” an officer said.
The BBMP has earmarked nearly Rs 1.7 crore for providing study materials to its students.