The Union government, the P.N. Panicker Foundation and the Confederation of NGOs of Rural India will implement a programme to make Internet libraries available to 25,000 rural households over the next three months.
Minister for Education and Culture M.A. Baby told the media here on Monday that computers with Internet connections would reach 10,000 households during the week beginning June 19, which the State government was observing as a week for promoting the reading habit.
The computers would be given on an instalment basis with a subsidy of Rs.4,500. Telephone connections with broadband connectivity would be provided by the BSNL using the Universal Service Obligatory Fund.
The beneficiary would have to pay an initial sum of only Rs.2,250 for the computer and pay the balance in instalments of Rs.300 over 60 months with the telephone bill.
The Minister said the State-level inauguration of the Reading Day and Week would take place here on June 19. The Week would be observed in schools from June 21. A quiz and other programmes would be held to promote the reading habit.
As a prelude to the observation, a torchlight procession would be taken out from the Swadeshabhimani memorial at Neyyattinkara on June 18. The Minister would receive the torch the next day at its arrival here after touring the memorials of eminent persons in the district.
An exhibition of books and products made by the Khadi and Village Industries Board and Kudumbasree members would also be held here besides seminars and workshops.
