Accusing the Centre of overlooking practical aspects of implementing the Right to Education Act, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati sought funds from the United Progressive Alliance government to enforce the law on Saturday.
Mayawati alleged the Centre was not serious in implementing the Act.
"This was the reason the Centre did not look into practical aspects while implementing the Act and a nominal provision was made in the budget," she said in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
"If the Centre is really willing to implement the Right to Education Act to benefit the people, it should bear the financial burden to be created on the state for implementation of the Act," Mayawati said.
She said that to implement the Act in Uttar Pradesh, Rs 18,000 crore would be needed in one year, of which 45 percent -- Rs 8,000 crore -- have to be arranged by the state.
It would be difficult for the state to arrange Rs 8,000 crore considering its present financial condition, she said.
Mayawati said if the Centre seriously wanted to implement the RTE Act, it should provide required funds to UP.
"The state had in a letter sent to the Centre in November last year already requested for required funds," she said.
"As education has been included in the concurrent list, it was necessary that the Centre should have held a formal discussion with the states and should have made financial arrangements for the implementation of the Act. But this has not been done," Mayawati said.
"This is not fair that the Centre should issue directives after framing policies relating to the Act and its implementation is left solely on the states," she added.
She said though the Centre has framed the Act, it has made no financial arrangements required for its implementation.
"I hope the Centre would seriously think over this important issue and take a positive decision," she said.
Mayawati said that to implement the new Act on the ground 4,596 new primary and 2,349 upper primary schools other than development of infrastructure would be needed, for which an expenditure of Rs 3,800 crore was estimated.
In addition to this, she said that to provide compulsory education facility to all children in the age group of 6 to 14 years 3.25 lakh teachers would be required in primary schools.
"Besides 67,000 new regular and 44,000 part-time teachers would be required in upper primary schools, which would create an additional burden of Rs 10,000 crore in the form of salaries and other heads," she said.
She said an expenditure of another Rs 3,000 crore was estimated for compensating the private schools against enrollment of 25 percent children from economically weaker section.