Date:09/09/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/09/09/stories/2006090926360400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

People's help sought in raising literacy rate

Staff Reporter

`Officials exploiting illiterate villagers'

Bangalore: "Even so many years after Independence, there still are lakhs of people who are illiterate. The State Government, through the Department of Public Instruction, has launched several programmes to increase the literacy rate in the State," Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said here on Friday.

He was speaking after inaugurating a function organised to celebrate the World Literacy Day. He released posters and a book "Sarala Kanoonu" on the occasion. "I have toured all over the State during the past few weeks. I visited the backward regions of the State and stayed in villages. One common thing that I found after interacting with villagers was that many were illiterate and were being exploited by officials," he said. He also said that the problem could be solved if people helped the Government increase the literacy rate.

Demands

Mr. Kumaraswamy said the Government would consider the demand of the department with regard to the sanction of Rs. 30 crore towards the literacy mission. The department also urged the Chief Minister to ensure that Rs. 25,000 was earmarked in the gram panchayat budget towards the literacy mission. The Chief Minister said that the Government would consider the department's demands.

He said that women should be encouraged to become literate and added that Stree Shakti groups could help the Government in this regard. He also said that the Union Government had been urged to grant more funds for the mission this year.

Basavaraj Horatti, Minister for Primary and Secondary Education, said that the department aimed to increase the literacy rate from 67 per cent to 85 per cent by the end of December 2004. Several programmes and schemes had been taken up to achieve this end. As many as 15,000 literacy camps would be held in the State. Such camps had been held in 11 districts already. Over 500 camps would be conducted in each district. "We will concentrate on areas where the literacy rate is below 40 per cent," he said. Several maths and industrialists had come forward to help the Government conduct the camps, he added.

Mr. Horatti said that of the 91,400 gram panchayat members, 21,800 were illiterate. K. Shivaram, Commissioner (Public Instruction), welcomed the gathering.