Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today said the Centre's "lop-sided decision" to delink support from the Model School Scheme is a setback in providing quality education, mainly in rural areas.
The move will severely deprive students from rural areas of their right to quality education, Gogoi said in a statement.
The CM has also sent a letter to the Union Human Resources Development Minister criticising the move.
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In the letter, Gogoi reminded that the scheme was launched by the ministry itself in partnership with the state governments to contribute to the qualitative transformation of education in rural areas.
In sync with the scheme, Assam received approval for construction of 81 Model Schools and the state government started construction of 48 Model Schools.
"With our efforts, 14 schools have already started operations by integrating Class I to V and the response to the students and community is overwhelming," Gogoi said.
However, delving a blow to the this initiative, the Centre delinked its support from the scheme leaving it in lurch, he added.
The Chief Minister, however, reiterated that the state government is committed to run the schools, thereby enabling thousands of rural students of their right to quality education.
The statement mentioned that the operational cost of a Model School is around Rs 1.17 crore annually and for maintaining these 81 Model Schools, the financial implication thus involved is around Rs 94.77 crore per annum.
