GUWAHATI, Dec 18 � The Director General of National Literacy Mission Authority Jagmohan Singh Raju today reviewed the implementation status of Sakshar Bharat � a flagship project of the UPA Government � in the State and has asked the implementing agencies in the State to expedite the process.
Under the programme, seven crore adults living in 367 identified districts of the country would be made literate by 2012. 12 districts of Assam, comprising around 40 lakh illiterate adults, would be covered under Sakshar Bharat. In the entire region, 47 lakh adults would be covered.
Of the seven crore illiterate adults (above 15 years) to be covered by the programme, six crore are women.
�Until and unless basic literacy is achieved, all other Acts, be it the Right to Information or the Right to Education, would not yield desired results. I have, therefore, asked them to expedite the process for effective implementation of the programme,� Raju said while addressing a press conference at Sankardev Kalakshetra.
Raju also had discussion with representatives of Gaon Panchayats, Zila Parishad and the Anchalik Parishad, the implementing agencies of the mission.
Dwelling on the present scenario in the State, Raju said that the female adult literacy scenario in the 12 districts ranges from 35 per cent to 48.2 per cent.
Among the 12 districts, Dhubri registered the lowest female literacy rate with 35 per cent, while Dhemaji recorded an adult female literacy rate of 48.2 per cent.
On the teaching staff, the Director General informed that the volunteers, also involving students from various institutions, would be engaged in a phased manner.
The programme was launched in 2009 by the Prime Minister under which altogether 367 districts with female literacy rate below 50 per cent, including 12 districts of Assam, were identified to be covered under the programme.
Giving more emphasis on female literacy, Raju said, �The flagship programme is being implemented across the country, more so in the rural areas where 80 per cent of the adult illiterate population lives.�
Raju also had interaction with officials of State Literacy Mission Authority and the State Resource Centre.
Of the 12 districts, five districts � including Sonitpur, Karbi Anglong, Darrang, Dhemaji and Bongaigaon � were sanctioned in 2009-10 under the programme, for which Rs 59 crore was released.
Another seven districts, like Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Barpeta, Morigaon, Hailakandi, Goalpara and Tinsukia, have been sanctioned in the current year and an amount of Rs 14 crore has been released in the first phase.
According to a survey, every second household in rural India has an illiterate adult.
Raju also had a meeting with a section of intellectuals later in the day.
