Reacting to the Centres criticism of its stand over the Right to Education (RTE) Act,UP government Monday said it was not the only state which had informed the Centre about difficulty in implementing the Act,which came into effect from April 1. UP Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh said Bengal,Madhya Pradesh,Karnataka,Bihar and Punjab too had expressed similar concerns to the Centre. Clarifying that the state was not against the Bill,Singh said education was a top priority for Chief Minister Mayawati. UP government released a letter written to PM Manmohan Singh by Karnataka CM B S Yeddyurappa in this regard on November 4,2009. The financial position of the state may not permit large expenditure on RTE Act, the letter said. Hence,I would urge you to fund the Act to the extent of 90 per cent. A letter written by MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan to Mayawati on September 11,2009,expressing his views on the implementation of the Act was also released. You will agree that this gigantic task of providing free and compulsory education should be taken up as a national project by the Union Government. the states should not be burdened to pay more than 10 per cent of the expenditure on its implementation,at least over the next two plan period, Chouhans letter said. Singh said Mayawati wrote a letter to the PM on October 26,2009,in which she expressed regret that Centre had not paid attention to requests by different states for adequate funds for the scheme. This has exposed the irresponsible manner in which the central government functions, she wrote. Meanwhile,the Congress termed Mayawatis refusal to implement the Act as outrageous. Party spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said it showed her anti-development and anti-children thinking. Ms Murtidevi (Mayawati) appears to have everything else except education as her priority. She budgeted Rs 4,500 crore for her favourite statues and memorials and proposed further Rs 67 crore for their security. Perhaps Mayawati is fearful that accountability and empowerment that comes out of knowledge will demand from her an explanation. It suits her government that UP of tomorrow is illiterate and disempowered, Singhvi said. Nitish now for 100% Central funding Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday demanded that the Centre meet 100 per cent financial requirements under the Right to Free and compulsory Education Act. Though we welcome the new act. the Centre must bear the cent per cent burden on it as it is beyond the resources of a cash-strapped state like Bihar, Kumar told reporters here. PTI
