Pune: Three Months After Schools Reopened, 60,000 Civic School Students Still Await Textbooks, Bags and Other Material from PCMC

Pimpri Chinchwad, 10th September 2026: Nearly three months into the new academic year, around 60,000 students studying in Pimpri Chinchwad civic schools are still waiting for textbooks and other essential school material, including notebooks, bags, raincoats and shoes. The delay has raised questions over the civic education department’s handling of the distribution process, with officials now assuring that the material will reach students within eight days.

The municipal corporation runs 105 primary schools and 18 secondary schools. Every year, the civic body spends crores of rupees to provide school material to students, particularly those from economically weaker sections. However, the distribution has been delayed for the past two years due to issues involving contractors and officials.

Although the state government has directed civic bodies to provide school material through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system, the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has initiated a tender process to distribute the material through contractors. The tender for 2026-27 was floated through the e-procurement system, with government-approved rates ranging from Rs 3,100 to Rs 4,475 for different categories.

The civic administration has already approved the process and issued work orders to contractors. However, the contractors have been unable to begin distribution as the required QR codes have not yet been generated by the civic body.

Officials said the delay is due to technical issues in generating the QR codes and claimed that the problem would be resolved shortly.

“The entire process has been completed and orders have been issued to the contractors. There were technical difficulties in generating the QR codes. All students will receive the school material within the next eight days,” said Mamata Shinde, Deputy Commissioner, Education Department.

With the academic year already well underway, the continued delay has left students waiting for material that was supposed to be provided at the beginning of the school year, prompting criticism that the civic administration is failing to give adequate priority to the needs of students in its schools.