Uttar Pradesh cabinet secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh said that since the Centre has enacted the law it was the the Centre's "moral duty to make arrangements for funds for the purpose".
Under fire for expressing inability to fund the Right to Education scheme in the midst of a row over spending for Dalit memorials, the Mayawati government today hit back saying it was "petty politics" that every time the chief minister raises key issues "some important people" rake up the memorial issue.
Terming as "unfortunate" the attack on Mayawati for pointing to practical problems in implemention of the Right to Education act in the state, state cabinet secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh said since the Centre has enacted the law it was the the Centre's "moral duty to make arrangements for funds for the purpose".
"It is unfortunate that the chief minister's views on a very serious issue of practical and financial problems in implementation of the Act have been taken superficially by the powers that be", he said while referring to a letter written by the chief minister to prime minister Manmohan Singh on the subject last week and subsequent reaction to the same by central leaders.
Singh said the issue has "pained" the chief minister and pointed out that it was not just Uttar Pradesh but other states which had also aired similar views.
The chief ministers of Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh had also made a written request to the prime minister for assistance in implementation of the Act, the cabinet secretary said adding "whenever Mayawati expresses herself on important issues, some important people rake up the issue of expenses on
memorials and parks raised in memory of Dalit and OBC icons".
"The chief minister finds this tendencey among some people as an exapmle of their petty politics", he said.
To questions whether the state would not implement the Act in case the Centre does not provide financial support, the cabinet secretary said he would not comment on any imaginary situation and hoped the Centre would reply to the chief minister's letter.
When his attention was drawn on the fate of several such letters sent by the chief minister in the past including the ones demanding special package for Purvanchal and Bundelkhand,
he indicated something might emerge within three to four days.
Stressing that education was among the priorities of the state government and it was in support of the RTE Act, the cabinet secretary said the chief minister had earlier too written a letter to the prime minister in October last and had extended cooperation but the real question is that of funding.
"The chief minister has stressed that it is not possible to bear the expenses from its own resources," he said giving a detail of the infrastructure required for the same like appointment of teachers.
The chief minister is of the view that since the Centre has enacted the law it was its moral responsibility to make provisions for its implementation, he said adding had that been taken care of there would have been no problems in its implementation.
"It is saddening for the chief minister that the Centre has not paid attention to her views and held no discussions before enacting the law", he said adding the chief minister has renewed the request through the second letter and hoped it would be taken into consideration.
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