- Jaipur district launched the Akhar Campaign to teach NREGA labourers to sign their names
- A survey found 46,791 NREGA labourers in Jaipur district were illiterate and used thumb impressions
- So far, 41,805 labourers have learnt to sign, 27,611 can identify numbers, and 35,713 alphabets
Jaipur district administration's "NREGA Akhar Campaign" is changing the lives of thousands of National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) labourers. Under the campaign, the administration is teaching labourers to sign their names and providing basic numerical education. The administration is also planning to teach them to use smartphones, carry out UPI transactions, and several other digital techniques, which may make their work easier. The plan is to make them digitally literate.
The administration conducted a survey involving over two lakh (2,14,907) NREGA labourers in the district. Of this, 46,791 were identified as illiterate, who were not even able to write their names and used thumb impressions to draw salaries and deliver other formalities.
In view of this situation, the Jaipur District collector, Dr Jitendra Kumar Soni, initiated the Akhar Campaign to make labourers self-reliant.
"We have started this campaign to make our NREGA labourers self-reliant," Dr Soni said, speaking to NDTV. "During the survey, we realised that they don't even know how to write their names. They could only drop a thumb impression to draw salaries. So far, at least 41,805 labourers have already learnt to sign. Around 27,611 labourers are now able to identify numbers, while 35,713 can also identify alphabets."
The next goal is to train these labourers in digital transactions, forms and other digital activities. "This is an initiative which is completely dedicated to improving their lives and making them confident," he added.
Rameshwari, one of the MNREGA labourers who is also part of this campaign, didn't even know her exact age, but today she can write her name correctly. She never had the opportunity to attend school for even primary education. Now her grandchildren learn from her.
"I have three sons, all of them are illiterate and survive on some small labour work. However, my grandchildren are now surprised to see me studying at this age," she said. "They also come to study with me. They also try to teach me new things from their textbooks. I'm very happy that I can read and write at this age."
Thus, this initiative by the Jaipur administration is making the lives of Rameshwari and thousands like her better.
