The Hindu : Govt. has failed on education front: BJP

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 26, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Govt. has failed on education front: BJP

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, MARCH 25. The Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party president, Harsh Vardhan, today accused the Sheila Dikshit Government of depriving over 10 lakh children living of their fundamental right of getting educated by failing to spend even 10 per cent of the Rs 52 crores which had been given to it by the Centre for initiating the "Education to all Campaign" covering children in the six to 14 year age group.

Noting that the implementation report of the "Education to all Campaign" is alarming as it shows how the Delhi Government had "intentionally failed" the scheme in Delhi, Dr. Vardhan alleged that the Sheila Dikshit regime has been working towards depriving the children of the weaker sections as it wants them to remain uneducated so that they remain a vote bank of the Congress.

Alleging that during its 45 year rule the policy of the Congress has been to keep the depressed and weaker sections uneducated so that they may not become aware of their rights and continue to remain attached to the party like bonded labour, the BJP leader said the Delhi Government has been pursuing the same policy of deprive and rule.

However, this has affected the future of a large number of children as the surveys have revealed that Delhi has trailed behind other states in the implementation of the campaign. "Latest statistics expose the truth about what is the basic character of the Congress Government which sheds crocodile tears for welfare of weaker sections," he said, adding that the actual character of the party is proved beyond doubt by the implementation report.

Stating that the NDA Government had initiated the campaign with an outlay of around Rs. 16,000 crores and had sent Rs. 7,571 crores to the States, Dr. Vardhan said some States ruled by several opposition parties have been trying to fail the programme. As such, he said, Maharashtra and West Bengal have not provided education to poor children despite full economic assistance from the Centre and have utilised only 12 and 15 per cent of the funds respectively.

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