Bhopal, (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for more funds to achieve the task of providing free and compulsory education under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Bill, an official said Thursday.

“The efficacious implementation of the right granted would entail both capital and recurring expenditure. This would require more school buildings, teachers and funds for the tuition fees as well,” Chouhan said.

An estimate by the state education department indicates that the additional expenditure entailed in Madhya Pradesh would be around Rs.9,000 crore over the next three years.

Chouhan, in his letter, said that most of the centrally sponsored schemes start with low states’ share. However, over a period of time, there is progressive increase and the states end up paying up to 50 percent of the total amount.

The states should not be burdened to pay more than 10 percent of the expenditure likely to be incurred in implementing the Right to Education Act - at least over the next two plan periods, he added.

-- IANS