"Final authority lies with Centre": Congress' K Muraleedharan on Kerala govt holding PM-SHRI

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], October 30 (ANI): After the Kerala government put on hold the PM SHRI (PM Schools for Rising India) scheme, Congress leader K Muraleedharan said on Thursday that the agreement between the state and central governments is already in place and cannot be easily withdrawn.
Speaking to ANI, Muraleedharan emphasised that the final authority on the matter rests with the Centre, adding that even Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the Communist Party of India (CPI) are aware of this limitation.
"... The agreement signed between the state government and the Centre is currently being withheld. When the state government wishes to withdraw, the Centre sometimes does not agree, as the final authority lies with the central government; the ball is in their court. The state is not in a position to withdraw because the deal has already been signed. Even Pinarayi Vijayan is aware of this, and so is the CPI. It is seen as a betrayal of party workers by both the CPM and CPI," the Congress leader said.
Following the opposition of the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Kerala government has now put on hold the rollout of the PM SHRI Scheme.
Earlier on Wednesday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced that a seven-member cabinet sub-committee, chaired by Education Minister V Sivankutty, will be constituted to review the implementation of the PM SHRI scheme in the state. All further proceedings under the scheme will be put on hold until the committee submits its report.
"When the MoU for PM SHRI was signed, it triggered several concerns. We have now decided to re-examine the project's implementation. A cabinet sub-committee with seven ministers has been constituted for this review. Until the committee submits its report and a final decision is taken, all further steps under PM SHRI will be put on hold. This decision will be formally communicated to the central government through a letter. Education Minister V Sivankutty will chair the sub-committee and will include Ministers K Rajan, Roshy Augustine, P Rajeev, P Prasad, K Krishnankutty, and AK Saseendran.", CM Vijayan said.
Launched in 2022, the PM SHRI aims at creating 14,500 exemplar institutions across the country that showcase various aspects of the NEP.
Kerala Minister for General Education V Sivankutty explained the decision to implement the PM SHRI in the State as a tactical move to secure the withheld Central funds under the Samagra Shiksha education scheme. The funds totalling Rs 1,476.13 crore under the scheme, which are due to the State, have been withheld by the Centre.
The Opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) also slammed the government for the decision, alleging a CPI(M)-BJP "backdoor deal" in this.
Criticising the move, Varun Choudhary, National President of the Congress-affiliated NSUI, on Wednesday said that the Left Democratic Front government in Kerala had officially accepted the "RSS-imposed" New Education Policy (NEP). (ANI)