Will UP govt bring unrecognised madrassas educating poor children under grant list: Mayawati

LUCKNOW: Referring to a Uttar Pradesh government survey that reportedly found over 7,500 private madrassas to be 'unrecognised', BSP president Mayawati on Wednesday asked if the state will now include these in its grant list and bring them under its purview.

The Uttar Pradesh government had last month ordered a survey of all private madrassas in the state, stating that on its basis necessary facilities will be provided in these institutes.

"The state government by forming a special team has completed the work of the much hyped survey of private madrassas dependent on people's donations, and according to it, over 7,500 'unrecognised' madrassas are engaged in imparting education to poor children," the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief said.

"These non-government madrassas do not want to be a burden on the government, then why interfere?" Mayawati asked in a tweet in Hindi. The survey has been almost completed in all 75 districts of the state. The teams constituted for the survey of madrassas will give their report to district magistrates by October 31 through the additional district magistrate.

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"While a survey is conducted specifically for budget provision for salaries of teachers and staff of government madrassas run by the madrassa board, will the Uttar Pradesh government include these private madrassas in its grant list and make them government madrassas?" Mayawati said. The BSP government had brought 100 such madrassas under the board, she claimed.

Targeting the Congress, Mayawati said, "Earlier, in the name of modernisation of madrassas, instead of ensuring higher education of their choice to students, they were trained in driving and mechanic, carpenter work. Now see what happens to them in the BJP government?"

The condition of government schools in Uttar Pradesh and all other states as well as the education system, which is going from bad to worse, is not hidden from anyone, she claimed. Yet the governments are careless and indifferent as mostly children from poor and weaker sections study there, the BSP chief said.