Patna: The Bihar government will launch a special scheme to make 40,000 prisoners in different jails across the state literate, officials said on Friday.

"A six month course for illiterate prisoners, aged between 15 to 50, would be launched on August 9 this year to make them literate," official sources in the state human resource department said.

An official said initially two centres would be set up in each jail. Each centre would cater to 50 prisoners, while two literate prisoners would serve as teachers at each centre. The "teachers" would be paid Rs.150 each daily.

Over 44,000 prisoners are lodged in 54 jails - six central jails, 33 district jails and 15 sub-jails - in the state, which only have the capacity to accommodate 24,500 prisoners. IANS