Adult education authorities have taken up the literacy drive briskly by setting up several education centres in both East and West Godavari districts.

In East Godavari, out of the proposed 1,475 education centres in seven Agency mandals for nearly 14,750 persons with each centre having 10 persons, the authorities have set up around 800 centres in two mandals including Rampa-chodavaram and Maredu-milli so far. The target gro-up is persons aged between 15 and 40 or even 50 years.

The authorities intend to improve the literacy rate, especially in the Agency, so that it will increase the district’s average literacy rate. The state government has already released Rs.14.75 lakh for implementation of the literacy programme with each learner getting an allocation of Rs.100, this including study material and teaching.

The Integrated Tribal Development Agency in the Agency area is taking an active role in helping adult education authorities in setting up education centres. Volunteers from ang-anwadi workers, mahila samakhyas and other sour-ces were trained recently. They will work without payment. They are supposed to run the education centres for about an hour in the evening, between 6.00 pm and 7.00 pm.

In West Godavari, the programme named as Akshara Dakshi is expected to be launched in the three mandals of Buttaigudem, Jeel-ugumilli and Polavaram from February 17. As many as 14,750 persons would be covered in the literacy drive and 1,475 centres are proposed to be set up.

The authorities are planning to train volunteers for the programme for two days on February 16 and 17.