KOCHI: Nine more panchayats in Ernakulam district have achieved complete e-literacy under the Akshaya Project.

With this, the number of fully e-literate panchayats in the district has risen to 41. Aluva and Paravur municipalities had also achieved this feat earlier.

The formal announcement declaring Njarakkal, Vengola, Karumaloor, Malayattur-Nileeswaram, Kizhakkambalam, Choornikkara, Kumbalam and Cheranalloor panchayats and Kalamassery municipality as fully e-literate is expected shortly.

The District Collector had issued the requisite order and it is now for the local self-government bodies concerned to decide a date for the formal announcement.

Forty-seven more panchayats are still undergoing e-literacy programme. Except for a couple of panchayats the rest are expected to become e-literate by June 30, district Akshaya sources said.

Meanwhile, the Intel Learn Program (ILP), a community development programme, implemented by the Kerala State Information Technology Mission in association with the computer major Inter Corp, is making steady progress in the district.

ILP is underway in 50 Akshaya centres in the district. A function would be held at the Maradu Akshaya centre on May 22 to showcase the skills achieved by those participants who have successfully completed the programme.

The programme was launched at the centre during the summer vacation and already 70 students had completed the course.

At the function these students will present a detailed project based on a specific issue of their choice, which they believe will have an effect on their immediate community, Mohammedkutty P.S., entrepreneur of the Maradu centre, said. The third batch is undergoing training at his centre.

The programme focuses on students in the age group of 8 and 17 years. The programme comprises two modules, technology and community and technology at work, of 30 hours each. The course fee is Rs. 250. Intel Corp supplies the course materials, including printed matter and e-books.