Parents claim bookstore charging exorbitant price

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, April 12

Parents of students of BCM Arya Model Senior Secondary School protested outside Narula bookstore on Malhar Road here today. They alleged the bookstore owner was charging exorbitant price for books.

Parents were represented by the BCM Parents’ Association. Protesters said the book-centre onwer had reprinted the price tags on schoolbooks and was forcing them to buy at the increased price. Parents said the shop onwer refused to budge, despite the protest.

Parents said since books were available at Narula Sons bookstore only, they were being cheated. They said even the school authorities were not ready to offer any help. They said they met school Principal Paramjit Kaur in this regard and she had evaded queries. “We asked the Principal that why are the schoolbooks available at only one bookstore. Due to the monopoly, the book seller has been charging price according to his whims and fancies. This has forced the parents to buy books at exorbitant rates. Neither the school authorities nor the district adminitration has been coming forward to help the parents,” said an association member. They said the Principal remarked that she was unaware of it and books could be bought from any bookstore.

Ajit Narula, owner of Narula Sons bookstore, said they had not reprinted the book prices and they remained as received from the publishers. He refuted all allegations by the parents.

School Principal Paramjit Kaur said books were available at all bookstores and the school had not asked the parents to buy books from any bookstore.