& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Literate rickshawpullers harassed?

TLM programme fails in Sirajganj

From Akhteruzzaman Bablu
SIRAJGANJ. July 11: Innocent literate rickshawpullers are allegedly being harassed by the personnel of'Prodipta Sirajganj', a pilot programme of mass literacy here in the name of fines.
This trend started after failure of the government sponsored total literacy movement (TLM) programme.
Fines ranging from Taka 10 to Taka 20 arc being realised from each rickshawpuller every evening from the town and other upazllas.
Abdul Momin, a rickshawpuller of Ranlgram road near Sirajganj Bazaar station complained to this correspondent that he can read and write, yet he had been fined Taka 10 illegally on an evening recently. This way. he said, many other rickshawpullers are being harassed. He also said that agents are active to collect such fines.
Concerned officers engaged in the movement at Tarash, Raiganj and Kazipur have been warned by the higher authorities for their alleged involvement in corruption.
It is worth mentioning that a full-fledged committee headed by the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Sirajganj launched the anti-literacy programme 'Prodipta
Sirajganj under TLM in July 1999 following allocation of Taka 18.90 crore from the Prime Minister's special fund.
In the first phase of the programme a pilot programme was launched in nine upazllas. Five months after its launching an evaluation test was conducted in January 2000 where it was found that the success was only five per cent Ultimately the programme could not make any headway due to alleged corruption by the official concerned.
Meanwhile, Sirajganj DC AFM Saiful Islam directed the magistrates to arrest the teachers for their alleged Involvement in corruption. Consequently 19 teachers have been arrestedon charge of corruption and negligence of duty. A large number of illiterate people were also fined.
Later on the authorities concerned sent letters to the Upazila Nirbahl Officers (UNOs) to make arrangements to refund the money spent for the purpose. Accordingly the UNOs informed the matter in all centres.
In the mean time, investigation is going on by a one-member probe committee to unfold the corruption.
When contaced with the members of the committee which was responsible for succeeding the movement, they admitted to tills correspondent that the TLM programme failed miserably here.
I lowever, when contacted with ADC General M A Mannan who is the secretary of Prodipta Sirajganj. He dented all the allegations to this correspondent. He further said that all the allegations are false and motivated.
Advocacy programme
From Our Correspondent
JAMALPUR July 11: The district unit of Fair Election Monitoring Alliance (FEMA) organised an advocacy programme at Jamalpur Press Club here recently.