Bhubaneswar: Orissa has sought Rs.13,671 crores from the central government to implement the right to education (RTE) act in the state, a minister said on Thursday.

School and Mass Education Pratap Jena met union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal in New Delhi on Thursday and discussed with him various issues pertaining to the implementation of the act.

"I highlighted about the need of Rs.13,671 crores over the next five years from 2010 to 2015," Jena told the sources from New Delhi.

"The state has limited availability of resources and it requires huge amount of funds to implement the act over the next five years," he said.

"I informed him that the state should be in a position to contribute only about 10 percent of the total estimated expenditure and it is necessary that the central government bears 90 percent of the cost for at least two plan periods," Jena said.

The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act was enacted by parliament in August, 2009 and came into force on April 1. IANS