New Delhi: A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed, here today for the Saakshar Bharat Scheme of National Literacy Mission, in the presence of Mrs. D. Purandeswari, Minister of State for Humber Resource Development, Ms. Anshu Vaish, Secretary (SE&L), to ensure a hassle free flow of funds to the implementing agencies up to the Gram Panchayal Level by utilizing the Core Banking System of the Banks.

For this, four leading public sector banks, viz. Union Bank of India, SBI, PNB & Indian Bank have come forward to be partners of NLMA.

The unique feature of this flow mechanism envisages a single bank account for each state, empowering the District Panchyat, Block Panchayat and Gram Panchayats to draw cheques against the single bank account and online monitoring of progress of expenditure.

The banks would provide customized cheque books to all implementing agencies of Saakshar Bharat, with assured cash flow.

With the new system of implementation, NLMA will be able to reconcile their funds at different level by receiving the appropriate MIS from the banks about funds utilization.

On the occasion, D. Purandeswari expressed the hope that the funding mechanism which NLMA has evolved in collaboration with partner banks should be able to achieve all the expected elements including transparency, delivery & online monitoring of just-in-time fund flow and proper utilization of Sakshar Bharat funds.

Mrs. Anshu Vaish, Secretary (SE&L) released a prototype cheque books for Saakshar Bharat programme. On the part of NLMA, MOUs were signed by Mr. Jagmohan Singh Raju, Joint Secretary (Adult Education) & DG (NLMA) with the Senior Executives from four participant banks namely S.K. Mishra, General Manager & Business Head, State Bank of India, S. Govndan General Manager Union Bank of India, Ajay Kumar Mishra General Manager PNB and Malay Mukherjee General Manger, Indian Bank.

The Prime Minister launched the Saakshar Bharat scheme of the National Literacy Mission Authority (NLMA) of Ministry of Human Resource Development, on the International Literacy Day, 8th September, 2009.

It aims to cover 70 million non literate adults including 60 million adult not literate women.

The programme envisages fund flow of Rs.6000 crores in 365 district to implementing agencies in the states up to Gram Panchayat level without any interruption, Proposals for release of funds have already been received for implementation of the programme in 167 districts from 19 states.