Among the 17 districts where the Non-Formal Education Centre (NFEC) had scheduled the final phase of its literacy drive in mid-November, the central tarai districts with the lowest literacy rates have yet to conduct the litgeracy classes. Dhanusha, Sarlahi, Bara, Parsa and Rautahat are among the districts with the lowest literacy, as per the National Census 2011.
"The district-based mechanisms have failed to choose the NGOs through which the classes are to be conducted," NFEC Deputy Director Bishnu Prasad Mishra told Republica.
The campaign that began targeting 4.5 million people has the challenge of making 1.4 million people in the 15-60 years age group literate in the last phase alone.
Among the five districts, Sarlahi has the highest number of illiterates with a total of 165,008, followed by Dhanusha with 148,727. Likewsie, Rautahat has to make 123,698 people literate and Bara 88,915. Parsa district also has 78,016 people who need to become able to read and write in the next few months, if the government is to achieve its literacy target by mid-July.
Unhealthy competition between organizations to be given the authority for conducting the campaign has resulted in this delay, he added.
In Janakpur alone the district-based committee for the literacy drive, led by the local development officer, conducted meetings 20 times. But there is no positive sign yet, Mishra added.
"The preparations and support required from the central level reached on time, and this delay is the result of local dispute," stated
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