PESHAWAR, July 17: The NWFP government has decided to start classes for illiterate convicts serving prison terms in various jails of the province.

This campaign is being run under the adult literacy programme of the government, official sources told Dawn on Saturday.

The government has allocated Rs100 million for the adult literacy campaign in its annual development programme for the current fiscal year.

The Elementary Education Foundation, which is running the adult literacy campaign, is to hire 6,000 new teachers to teach adult learners.

Official sources said that a majority of adult illiterate convicts would benefit from this scheme, due to start from August.

"Prisoners shouldn't be segregated from the rest of society. They are part of it and will one day go back to their people. So they need to make use of their time while serving their jail term," Azam Khan, acting Inspector General of Prisons, said.

A four-month special package has been prepared for prisoners and they would be taught different subjects in shifts. The adult learners would be divided into several groups for the purpose.

"The prisoners participating in the learning activity would be rewarded with a two-month remission in their sentence," Mr Khan said.

A large number of illiterate prisoners are lodged in different jails. Their breakdown is as follows: 267 in Central Jail Peshawar, 605 in Dera Ismail Khan, 728 in Haripur, 84 in Bannu and 184 in Kohat jail.

Separate classes would be arranged for women prisoners.

Six thousand teachers to be hired for the campaign for a period of 12 months would draw a salary of Rs2,000 per month.

Books and other stationery would be provided to adult learners free of charge.