In a goof-up, Telugu textbooks carrying the previous year's foreword referring to K Chandrasekhar Rao as the Chief Minister was used in this year's books causing embarrassment to the Congress government in Telangana.

Books for classes 1 to 10, carrying the old foreword, were also distributed to students of state-run schools when they reopened on June 12 after the summer vacation.

Sources on Friday claimed that the officials initially sought the textbooks to be returned but now suggested pasting the foreword page on the backside of the (inner) cover page so that the reference to the previous government is not visible.

When contacted, a senior Education department official on Thursday said a particular textbook was not distributed to students as some rectifications are to be carried out, but did not elaborate.

The Telangana State United Teachers Federation on Friday sought the state government to conduct an inquiry and take action against officials who are responsible for the error.

The Federation General Secretary Chava Ravi alleged that the error was due to the negligence of the officials of State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT).

He said the government should inquire into the matter and take action against those responsible.

Ravi recalled that, in another act of alleged negligence, the Preamble of the Constitution was published on the cover page of a school textbook without the words 'socialist' and 'secular' last year.

The opposition BRS on Thursday attacked the Congress government for allegedly withdrawing textbooks meant for distribution to government school students as they contained reference to KCR.

BRS MLA and former Education minister P Sabita Indra Reddy asked whether it was justified to "withdraw the books or tear off the pages or paste another page on it because they had KCR's name." Against the backdrop of the row, the government has shifted officials who were involved in textbook printing to other roles. A "work arrangement" of school education officials was done, citing "administrative exigency", sources said.

Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Rani Rudrama alleged that the publication of former CM KCR's name in the books did not come to light till students pointed it out.

This shows that the system to supervise the publication of books has become completely weak, she said.

Such a situation arose as there is no minister who is in charge of education and as the department remained with the Chief Minister, she said.

Pointing out other alleged inadequacies in the Education department, she demanded that a full-time education minister be appointed.

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