Gandaki, Oct 10: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba today unveiled the ‘Literate Gandaki Province Monument’ amidst a programme here today.    

The monument is built by the Gandaki Province ministry for education, culture, science, technology and social development in the premises of the New Bazaar-based Regional Museum at Pokhara metropolis.    

The Province Council of Ministers on Bhadau 30 had decided to accept the Literate Gandaki Approach Paper and declare the Province a literate zone.    

Over 95 per cent population of the target group is required to have general writing and reading skills for any community or province to be literate. The government in its previous policies and programmes announced that it would meet the literacy target by the next two years.    

The data shows that Nawalpur has the highest 98 per cent literacy rate in the entire province while Lamjung shares the lowest 95.5 per cent followed by 96 per cent in Kaski, 96.4 per cent in Tanahu, 96.9 per cent in Manang, 96.16 per cent in Syangja, 96.27 per cent in Myagdi, 96.35 per cent in Mustang, 96.57 per cent in Baglung, 96.93 per cent in Parbat and 97.2 per cent in Gorkha.    

All districts in the Province have been already declared literate and Mustang is the first district to achieve this status on July 15, 2014, and Parbat was the last district to be declared literate on January 22, 2018.    

Upon arrival at Pokhara Airport, Pm Deuba was welcomed by Province Chief Prithviman Gurung and Chief Minister Krishna Chandra Nepali Pokhrel.