Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) State Youth Wing Secretary V. Eswaran has appealed to Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to take steps for effective implementation of the Right To Education (RTE) Act and ensure only the poor and downtrodden sections benefitted from this legislation.
In a letter, he said that the Tamil Nadu Government’s contention that only those students residing within one kilometre radius of a private school were eligible for admission in that school was in contravention of the Central Government guidelines.
He also called for rescinding a circular that exempted those from Backward and Most Backward Classes from the income ceiling of Rs. 2 lakh per annum to become eligible for admission under the RTE Act.
This provision enabled those from wealthy families to get admission. He said that Tamil Nadu should emulate Andhra Pradesh and lower the income criteria to Rs. 60,000 per annum so that only the weaker sections will benefit.
The MDMK leader also termed as false the State Government submission in the Madras High Court, in a case filed by him, that no complaints were received over the implementation of the RTE Act.
An inquiry filed under Right To Information Act had revealed that the Coimbatore Chief Education Officer had received 30 complaints through registered posts.
Even while the State Government was spending vast sums on publicising the construction of roads and bridges, Mr. Eswaran said that it was refusing to undertake a publicity campaign to create awareness about the RTE Act, which will be far more beneficial to the public.
