Ahmedabad, Aug 8 (IANS): A district education official in Gujarat has instructed school managements to ensure that students of Class IX to XII, who have availed benefits of state or Central government programmes/policies, to write postcards showing gratitude to the respective governments.

Patan district education officer (DEO) Jayram Joshi told IANS, "I am part of the system and I am only following the instructions given to me. At a district level officers' meeting, the district rural development agency's director suggested that we should ask students to write gratitude letters addressed to the Chief Minister and Prime Minister. So, I have issued a letter asking students to do so."

In the letter, the DEO stated, "The students of Class IX to XII of your schools are being extended the benefits of various government programmes and policies. So, they should write a gratitude letter addressed to the Chief Minister and Prime Minister of India. You have to ensure that all the students write the letter, which should reach the DEO's office by August 12."

The letter has not gone down well with the Youth Congress which will stage a protest at the DEO's office.

Youth Congress leader Vishwanathsinh Vaghela said, "The officer should not forget that it is public money from which the students got benefits, and not from the ruling party's account."

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarti Parishad (ABVP) is also not convinced with the letter from the DEO's office.

ABVP's state secretary Yuti Gajre said, "The DEO should not have issued such an instruction. The officer should give explanation for issuing such a letter."