Over 1.13 lakh unlettered prisoners made literate:DG (prisons)

More than 1.13 lakh unlettered prisoners have been made literates under the Telangana Prisons Department's 'Vidhya Dan' programme over the past four years, a top official said today.

The department is aiming at 100 per cent literacy for jail inmates and reduction in crime through various reformatory activities like 'Vidhya Dan', 'Unnati' and 'Mahaparivarthan' schemes, Director General (Prisons and Correctional Services) V K Singh said.

Singh launched the programme in July 2014 soon after assuming charge with the slogan of 'Thumb in Sign out' which aimed at making the inmates at least sign instead of giving their thumb impression as they did before being imprisoned.

Prisoners educated under the 'Vidhya Dan' programme are being used as volunteers to teach illiterate prisoners, Singh said.

The prisons department in coordination with the State Resource Centre (SRC) conducted Training of Trainers (ToT) programmes.

SRC members have visited all central prisons, district prisons and special prison for women of Telangana and provided ToT to educated inmates, Singh said.