Bhaktapur, January 19:

The ambitious National Literacy Campaign kicked off in Bhaktapur and Madhyapur Thimi municipalities today, five days after its launching across the nation.

Mitranath Gartaula at District Education Office, Bhaktapur, told The Himalayan Times that a lack of consensus among political parties had barred the finalising of volunteers in some wards of the municipalities, ultimately delaying the campaign. He said that the training for the nominated volunteers started today. According to Gartaula, 51 volunteers in Bhaktapur municipality had received training from two resource centres -- Bageshwori Higher Secondary School and Shree Padma Higher Secondary School and 51 volunteers in Madhyapur Thimi municipality had received training from Adarsha Secondary School Sanothimi resource centre.

He said that literacy census forms had been sent to wards and in some Nagarkot VDCs literacy classes had started. “Thirty-four wards in the municipalities will begin the classes from next week,” he added, “The 51 volunteers assigned for the campaign will begin data collection in a few days.”