Bhubaneswar, March 27: The state government has directed that distribution of school uniforms to all students be completed before the onset of summer vacation and ahead of the 2026–27 academic session. The directive has been issued by the School and Mass Education Department to all District Collectors, stressing timely implementation.

In a letter to district administrations, Commissioner-cum-Secretary Dr. N. Thirumala Naik highlighted that delays in procurement, stitching and distribution were reported in previous years, causing inconvenience to students and parents. To address this, districts have been asked to undertake advance planning and expedite the entire process this year.

As per the guidelines, a definite timeline will be fixed at the district level, covering procurement to final distribution. Collectors have been advised to assess the number of new admissions and existing students in advance to avoid last-minute delays. The department has also instructed officials to conduct surprise inspections to ensure the quality of fabric and stitching.

Further, a dedicated grievance redressal mechanism will be put in place to address complaints promptly. The government has emphasised close monitoring of the process, asking District Collectors to personally review the progress. Submission of progress reports every 15 days to OSEPA and the department has been made mandatory.