HYDERABAD: In its eagerness to “involve everyone” in Project Amaravati, the Andhra Pradesh government has instructed all district educational officers to collect Rs 10 each from all students and teachers in about 64,000 educational institutions spread across the state.The money will go towards chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu ’s pet ‘My Capital, My Amaravati, My Brick’ programme. The cash-strapped AP government has been raising money by selling bricks at Rs 10 each to construct the dream capital city, named after the ancient village of Amaravati. Already the AP government has created a record of sorts by selling the largest number of bricks through its special online portal.And now, the government has decided to involve about 70 lakh students and three lakh teachers in the construction of the capital city. The Commissioner of School Education on Monday issued a circular (RC/A&I/2016) instructing the regional joint directors of school education and DEOs to collect donations from students and teachers. They have been instructed to deposit the money before January 10. The orders were signed by joint director VN Mastanaiah on behalf of commissioner K Sandhya Rani.Senior officials have also been directed to review the progress of the programme and update the commissionerate on a daily basis. “This should be treated as most urgent,” the circular stressed.According to sources, the school education department had rushed through the circular following instructions from human resources development minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao. The money will be handed over to the chief minister. Sources said officials have decided to deduct Rs 10 each from the monthly ‘cosmetic charges’ paid to the students of government-run hostels and residential schools.Though the money to be raised through students and teachers is about Rs 7.2 crore only, child rights activists have come down heavily on the state government arguing that forced collection of money, however small it may be, from students and teachers “is against the spirit of the Right to Education Act”. The Balala Hakkula Sangham on Tuesday demanded that the government withdraw the circular as it violates the basic rights of students.Comparing the “forced donation” to the poll tax imposed by Aurangzeb, Sangham president Anuradha Rao said, “The government is following an anti-children policy”.However, HRD minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao told TOI that the donation is purely voluntary and the DEOs will not force the students to pay the money. “The move is aimed at creating a sense of ownership over Amaravati among students and teachers. It is a small amount and we have instructed officials not to force any student. We have requested for only voluntary contribution from all, so that everybody feels they have played their role in the construction of the new capital,” the minister said. hese are the same salafist morons who prayed for Osama Bin Laden and even cried for him.