Centre 'conspiring' to damage federal structure: Minister

West Bengal Education Minister Partha Chatterjee today alleged that the Centre was 'conspiring' to damage the country's federal structure by addressing letters to state secretaries regarding implementation of Swachh Bharat instead of the state's chief secretary.
"Bypassing the chief secretary, the letters were addressed to the secretaries of different departments and the DMs regarding the implementation of Swachh Bharat," he said.
Chatterjee pointed out that the letters should have been addressed to chief secretaries who then would issue necessary instructions to the concerned officials.
"Such practice is detrimental to the federal structure. The Centre is conspiring to damage the federal structure this way," Chatterjee, who is Trinamool Congress secretary-general told a press conference at the TMC party headquarters here.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on October two launched the country's biggest-ever cleanliness drive that is expected to cost over Rs 62,000 crore, asserting that the "Swachh Bharat" mission was "beyond politics" and inspired by patriotism.