Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 3: Scores of Sakshaar Bharat Mission (SBM) volunteers staged protest here today and demanded release of one year long pending honorarium and other necessary funds for their centers at Panchayati level.
The protesters said funds meant for spreading the education under the Sakshaar Bharat Literacy Mission has been swindled by the higher officials, which has badly affected the working of the mission in the State.
“The Central Government provides Rs 65,000 per centre under this mission in every State but, the State Government despite receiving the funds has not released the same from past three years,” said Rayees Ahmad Bhat, Union President SBM.
“The main aim of the mission is to motivate the school dropouts to join the schools again and in this regard about 21,000 Preraks (motivators) were recruited by Government in the State,” Bhat said.
The protesters said there are over 1400 such centers working across the State to eradicate illiteracy and achieve cent percent target in educating the State.
They said the money which has gone missing was to be used for installing computers at each center and also to provide teaching guides and other studying material to the students.
The candidates said they all are well qualified and maximum of candidates have qualification more than Post Graduation in different subjects and demanded they should be absorbed in the department permanently.
The protesters also demanded there should be separate Project Director for the scheme like in other States of India.
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