BAJAUR: The distribution of free textbooks among students of government educational institutions began here on Thursday.

The distribution of textbooks was inaugurated by Deputy Commissioner Shahid Ali Khan at a ceremony held for purpose in Civil Colony, Khar.

Officials of district administration and education department including the additional deputy commissioner, Hamza Zahoor, and the district election officer, Arbab Shereen Zada, also attended the ceremony, said a statement.

The district education officer while briefing the participants of the ceremony said that the process of distribution was being launched after receiving books from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Textbook Board few days ago.

He didn`t cite the exact number of both textbooks and the students, who would receive them. However, he said that the received books were almost enough for students of government schools from Ist grade to 8th across the district.

The deputy commissioner, Shahid Ali Khan, while addressing the ceremony, directed officials of education department to ensure immediate distribution of books among students in a transparent manner.

He also asked officials to ensure that no student was deprived of free textbooks, instructing them to seek additional copies from the department if the current supply was insufficient.

Mr Khan urged heads of public sector schools, of whom some were present in the ceremony, to foster a competitive environment, announcing that the administration would award a special prize to the bestperforming institution. Correspondent