Patna, May 26: Uneducated prisoners lodged in different jails in the state have reasons to cheer about. They will soon learn to read and write at study centres being set up in all 54 jails, including eight central jails.

Altogether 181 study centres would be opened in different jails of the state in collaboration with the directorate of mass education, a wing of the state human resource development department (HRD).

Under the scheme christened Prerna, educated prisoners would teach their fellow inmates who do not even know how to write their names. Those enrolled in the study centres would later be admitted to nearby government school, which would conduct the examinations and then award them certificates.

Inspector-general (IG) of police (prisons) Ramesh Lal told The Telegraph: “The officials of the prison department, particularly jail superintendents, will be provided with detailed information about the scheme at the training programmes to be held between May 24 and June 2.”

The first such programme was held in Patna on May 24, which was attended by the IG (prisons), probationary officers and the superintendents of over a dozen jails, including the two central jails at Beur (Patna) and Buxar.

He said: “The training programme for the officials of the jails under two central jails at Muzaffarpur and Motihari, would be held on May 27 followed by Gaya and Purnea on May 30. The training programme for the jails, including two central jails at Bhagalpur, would be conducted on June 2.”

The directorate of mass education would bear the expenses incurred on the literacy programme to be launched for the jail inmates. Each centre would be provided with Rs 24,000 for the programme.

“A sum of Rs 10,000 would be provided to each centre for purchasing books for the jail inmates and Rs 3,000 for the PowerPoint presentation besides Rs 10,000 for running the centres,” prisoners’ welfare officer Jay Prakash Das said.

He said a sum of Rs 1,000 each would be given to the prisoners enrolled at study centres as reward. The trainers, who would be called swayam sevaks, would be given Rs 200 as monthly remuneration.

He said: “The trainers will be selected by the educated prisoners themselves.” A survey conducted by the prison department in March this year revealed that 9,100 prisoners lodged in the 54 jails of Bihar were illiterate out of which 565 were lodged in Beur Central Jail in Patna alone.

Assistant director of the directorate of mass education Aarti Rani, appointed as the nodal officer, said the state government has sanctioned Rs 30.69 lakh for the programme.