The government on Thursday gifted four books, two of them written by chief minister Mamata Banerjee, to each of the students who have topped the Class X and XII board exams.

The four books were: Kathanjali, a collection of quotes and thoughts of Mamata, Best of Mamata, a 252-page hardcover written in English by the chief minister describing her personal experiences, Golpoguchchho, Rabindranath Tagore's collection of short stories, and Sanchita, Kazi Nazrul Islam's collection of poems.

Apart from the books, the gift hampers given to the 84 Madhyamik and HS toppers at a programme in the city had a laptop, a watch, a handbag, flowers, sweets and a certificate each.

On Wednesday, Mamata had gifted Kathanjali, along with Golpoguchchho and Sanchita, to madarsa toppers.

"Please go through the book ( Kathanjali) whenever you get time and read the quotations. I am sure you will like it," Mamata told students after giving away the hampers. "I think you should read the book when you go through a crisis."

Though the school education department has borne the cost of the hampers, Mamata made it clear at the gathering that it was she who had paid for the copies of Kathanjali.

"Arnab! (Arnab Roy, the school education department secretary) Have you told them that I chose Kathanjali and not you (the education department)?" she asked.

Best of Mamata, which costs Rs 800, was included in the hamper on the basis of a suggestion by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education and the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education, an education department official said.

"We don't know what prompted the boards to suggest Best of Mamata," the official said.

Board administrator Kalyanmoy Ganguly and council president Mahua Das did not comment on the matter.

But a teacher of a Higher Secondary school present at the function said: "The intention is clear. The boards have suggested Mamata's book to be in her good books."