Panaji: The state has reset its target for achieving 100 per cent literacy from May 30 to October 30. In all, 2,981 illiterate persons have been identified in Goa under the New India Literacy Programme (NILP).

“We had set a target to achieve 100 per cent literacy by May 30 but of all the identified persons, only 729 managed to appear for the examination. Considering this, we have informed the project approval board that we will achieve the target by October 30,” said an official.

The state has set a target to identify 3,000 illiterate persons and literate them. These persons are in the age group of 19-60 years, which include locals as well as migrants.

“Those identified under the programme are mostly daily wage workers and with the cashew season currently on, they have to go to plantations for work, mainly the women, which is why they could not appear for the examination. Now we plan to once again conduct an examination in the third week of June so that the candidates are able to answer it,” the official said.

The official said that through this initiative of the central government, illiterate persons

have been identified in every state in a bid to achieve 100 per cent literacy.

“Nine adult resource trainee coordinators have been appointed who have been entrusted with the task of teaching them. We could not take up the task to identify illiterate persons in the three talukas of Sanguem, Quepem and Canacona as we did not have any resource trainee coordinators. But soon we will cover these areas too,” the official said.

“They will first be taught to read and write and further we want to give them vocational education in various disciplines through ITIs or vocational centres,” said the official.