MPO enlistment to begin in February, minister tells parliament

DHAKA: Monthly payment order (MPO) enlistment of non-government educational institutions would begin again next February, parliament was told Tuesday.

“There are a total of 7,500 non-governmental educational institutions to be MPO-listed. Of them, 2,500 educational institutions have been MPO-listed and the rest are awaiting enlistment,” Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid apprised the lawmakers.

He came up with the government decision in response to quizzing by lawmakers in the House over the most pressing issue for them in their respective constituencies.

He urged the lawmakers to send maximum three institutions’ names, where educational institutions are waiting for MPO listing, within the first week of February next year.

Regarding construction of educational institution buildings, the minister said, “We would start construction work of 10 educational institutions every area.”

So, names of deserving 10 educational institutions will also have to be sent.

The minister also replied to a supplementary question from lawmaker Advocate Rahmat Ali and said there is a huge number of educational institutions which should have been enlisted for MPO earlier. But the process had been stopped for the last six years.

“We have begun the process of enlisting after assumption of power and all qualified educational institutions would be enlisted for MPO in phases,” he also informed the parliament.

Replying to a question from M Israfil Alam MP from Naogaon-2 constituency the minister informed the parliament that the government allocated Tk 335 crore in Secondary, SSC Vocational, Ebtadayee and Dakhil sectors and about Tk 180 crore for primary  sector as stipend for the current academic year.
Nahid also informed the House that a total of 20,54,234 textbooks are being printed for distributing among 24,73,168 students by the National  Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) under the Education Ministry.

Replying to a supplementary question, the minister said the government is trying hard to reach textbook to students in due time.
 
He reiterated that the country would observe ‘textbook festival’ on January 1.

Replying to another question, Nahid informed that eve-teasing issue would be inserted in the textbook of 2012 for encouraging students to stand against the social menace.

BDST: 1940 HRS, DEC 07, 2010