CM launches 'Education for All Mission'

By Our Special Correspondent

SANGAREDDY (Medak Dt.), OCT. 2. The Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, formally launched the `Education for All Mission' on Gandhi jayanti day today at a largely attended public meeting at the Tara Degree College here amidst protests by women against increased prices of kerosene, cooking gas, electricity, subsidised rice and ``tardy release'' of loans for self-help ventures at the mandal level.

The restive women had come from different places in the district. They raised the issues from a distance initially by yelling towards the stage and stood up en masse later. They, however, sat down on being persuaded by the police and Telugu Desam leaders, including Mr. P. Manik Reddy, former MP. A few of them broke the security cordon and submitted memoranda to the Chief Minister who, despite the embarrassment, personally received them.

While delivering the inaugural address later, Mr. Chandrababu Naidu turned to the women, calling them ``Teluginti ada padachulu'', and said: ``It was only to avoid the drudgery of cooking on conventional fuel that he had introduced `Deepam' and distributed LPG.'' The present hike in LPG and kerosene was the result of a Central decision. Nevertheless, he would try to avoid the additional burden, at least in the case of those who were not able to pay. In this regard, he had already addressed a letter to the Prime Minister. He briefed the gathering on the steps taken by him to give them their share and spoke of the programme under implementation for them, costing Rs. 1,200 crores, which included DIFD's poverty alleviation scheme under execution in 32 municipalities, (Rs. 750 cr.) and the DPAP in six districts (Rs. 580 cr).

He said another programme was being contemplated for them covering the other districts of Telangana with World Bank funding to the tune of Rs. 1,000 crores. The women remained silent.

Coming to the mission, which he had launched by lighting a lamp along with the Primary and Higher Education Ministers - Messrs K. Srihari and K. Ramachandra Rao - Mr. Chandrababu Naidu said he had chosen Medak district as the venue to highlight the Government's emphasis on the backward areas. Medak was at the bottom in literacy with the female literacy dismally remaining around 19 per cent. He had taken up the mission as progress and participation would not be possible without literacy among the public.

The Mission would aim at taking literacy in the State to at least 95 per cent by 2005 AD from the present 46 per cent (under different components costing Rs. 250 cr). The components included opening of 7,351 primary schools, upgradation of 4,300 primary schools into upper primary schools, and inclusion of 1,600 other schools under grants-in-aid scheme. Greater stress would be laid on primary education as the budgetary allocation at Rs. 2,400 cr. for this might be found deficient compared to the task ahead. A new syllabus, meeting the needs of life, was being formed for those covered by adult education.

This Sankranti would be celebrated in the State as ``Akshara Sankranti'' as, by then, about 60 lakh adults out of the 1.80 crore illiterates in the age group 16 to 50 years would be taught the 3 `R's. Referring to the initiatives taken in the past four years, he cited construction of buildings for 25,000 schools, appointment of 1.1 lakh teachers and 25,000 vidya volunteers. Proposals were on the card to appoint 27,000 more teachers and 50,000 more vidya volunteers.

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