Bhubaneswar, Feb. 24: The state government has claimed to have made over 15 lakh persons literate under the National Literacy Mission programme since its inception in 2009-10.

According to the 2011 census, out of the total population of 4.19 crore, the number of literates in Odisha is 2.67 crore. The state's literacy rate is 72.9 per cent - 70.2 per cent in the rural areas and 85.7 per cent in the urban localities.

School and mass education minister Debi Prasad Mishra said the mission's aim was to ensure literacy to those above 15 years of age in 19 district that had a literacy rate of less than 50 per cent.Funds to the tune of Rs 48.08 crore (central share - Rs 34.5 crore and state share - Rs 13.55 crore) haveeen released. An amount of Rs 41.73 crore has been utilised, and the state government has submitted utilisation certificates to the tune of Rs 33.61 crore. Mishra said steps were being taken to make all illiterates of the state literate in all the Sakhsar Bharat (Literate India) districts.The state government has set up a State Literacy Mission Authority, headed by chief minister Naveen Patnaik, to implement the national programme.

Steps are being taken to reconstitute the governing body following merger of the directorates of mass education and primary education in 2015. "The governing body will meet after its reconstitution to chalk out further strategies," Mishra said. At present, the Jan Siksha Sadhan Kendra is managing the Centre's literacy programme in 19 districts of the state. The Jan Sikshan bodies provide trainings to rural youths through skill development programme for self-employment.