The label is crucial as it ensures that the free books provided to students do not end up being sold in the market. The absence of this warning raises the risk of black marketing of these government-issued textbooks.
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The exact number of such copies remains unknown, which is why a detailed report has been sought from all regional offices and distribution managers.
A serious negligence has come to light in the printing of Class 5 mathematics textbooks by the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB). Nearly 20,000 copies of the book titled ‘Math World’, meant for free distribution in government schools, were printed without the mandatory label “Not for Sale” by S Printers Company, a printer based in Jalandhar, sources said.
The label is crucial as it ensures that the free books provided to students do not end up being sold in the market. The absence of this warning raises the risk of black marketing of these government-issued textbooks.
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In response, the Board has asked all district and regional office heads to submit urgent reports detailing how many copies were distributed without this label. Action will be taken against the responsible printer based on these findings.
Sources in the PSEB revealed that a penalty equivalent to three times the cost of each mislabeled book will be imposed on the printer. According to department officials, this carelessness could have caused serious problems for schools and students, as these books could have been easily sold in the open market.
The exact number of such copies remains unknown, which is why a detailed report has been sought from all regional offices and distribution managers.
A senior officer from the Punjab School Education Board emphasised that “no negligence or corruption will be tolerated in the distribution of free student resources”.