Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today told a group of child campaigners that his government keep its promise of allocating the promised 9 per cent of the GDP to education and health. He added it was important that state governments and the panchayats take responsibility to fully implement education and health for all.“I will discuss this issue at the chief ministers’ meeting which will happen soon,” Singh told the 20 children who had brought 2,00,001 signatures of children from across the country with them, to remind the government of its promise in the National Common Programme (NCP).This effort is supported by Wada Na Todo Abhiyan (Keep Your Promise Campaign), a national coalition of over 900 development and grassroots organisations which are working across 15 states to monitor the government’s promises on the ground by annually reviewing its performance in fulfilling its UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), National Development Goals and the National Common Minimum Programme.“I appreciate your initiative. It is really the people who can help make sure that schools are functioning and teachers are attending schools,” Singh told the children.Priyanka Dey of Mater Dei School, New Delhi, asked the Prime Minister to wear the ‘Make Poverty History’ white band and helped him put it on his wrist. “The Prime Minister told me he supports our cause,” she said. “I believe that if every child is educated and healthy, we can fight poverty.”The group consisting of students from private and government schools, street and slum children have asked the government to fulfil its promise of giving 9 per cent of the GDP to public expenditure on health and education so that every child can go to school.
