Financial burden major hurdle: Meghalaya govt on RTE

Shillong, Apr 15 (PTI) Underlining financial implication as a major hurdle in implementing the Right to Education Act, Meghalaya government today suggested that the north-eastern states should collectively take up the issue and approach the Centre for assistance.

"The education ministers' forum of the northeastern states should collectively take up the matter with the Centre for assistance," Education Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh told reporters here.

"Even while implementing other flagship programmes which had a funding pattern of 90:10, the state found it difficult to cover its share of 10 per cent. Now, augmenting 45 per cent share as envisaged in the RTE Act will be the biggest challenge," she said.

Augmenting the financial burden will have a severe impact on the financial capacity of a resource-poor state like Meghalaya, Lyngdoh said.