World Bank offers funds of USD500 million for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan

With government's flagship Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) scheme showing encouraging results in expansion of elementary education, the World Bank has come forward with an offer to provide additional funding of USD500 million for the programme.

The World Bank has proposed the government to provide the money as soft loans, to be paid over a period of 35 to 40 years with lesser interest.

The World Bank had provided a soft loan of USD600 million for the scheme, which aims at universalisation of elementary education.

At present, 99% of the habitations in the country have got a primary school. Under the SSA, 2.7 lakh schools have already been operationalised in the country since 2000-'01. Similarly, about 9.86 lakh teachers have been recruited by March this year.

"The World Bank wants to extend its funding to the programme which has been successful in providing access to education to the children in all areas. The proposal of the World Bank is under consideration," a human resource development ministry official said.

The government has already spent the USD600 million of funds provided by the World Bank for the period from 2008-'10.