PM SHRI row: Kerala minister says LDF signed MoU, accepted Rs 93 crore

PALAKKAD (Kerala), 9 June: Kerala General Education Minister N. Samsudheen on Tuesday said the previous CPI(M)-led LDF government had signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Centre for implementing the PM SHRI (Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India) scheme and had received Rs 93 crore under the programme.

Rejecting allegations by the opposition that the UDF government was spreading misinformation on the issue, Samsudheen said the facts surrounding the scheme were clear and documented.

"The previous government signed the MoU with the Centre. That is a fact and cannot be denied. Rs 93 crore was also released by the Centre in connection with the scheme during the previous LDF government's tenure," the minister told reporters.

His remarks came amid a political row over the implementation of the centrally sponsored school modernisation programme in Kerala.

UDF says stand unchanged

Samsudheen said the Congress-led UDF government's political position on the PM SHRI scheme remained unchanged and reiterated reservations over certain conditions attached to the programme.

He said the issue would be discussed further within the ruling coalition before any final decision was taken.

The minister also clarified that the present government had not entered into any fresh agreement with the Centre and noted that unilaterally withdrawing from an MoU signed jointly by the state and central governments was not a straightforward process.

"When objections were raised earlier, the scheme was not completely withdrawn. It was only kept in abeyance," he said.

Political sparring continues

The minister's statement followed criticism by senior CPI(M) leader V. Sivankutty, who accused the UDF government of misleading the public on the PM SHRI issue.

In a social media post on Monday, Sivankutty claimed Kerala had neither implemented the scheme nor received funds under it, describing claims of financial assistance from the Centre as false.

Meanwhile, BJP state president K. Surendran alleged that the previous LDF government had signed the agreement despite publicly opposing the scheme.

He claimed the current UDF government would eventually be compelled to implement it and demanded that both major political fronts apologise to students and parents for delaying the project.

Background

The PM SHRI controversy first erupted during the previous LDF government's tenure after it signed an MoU with the Centre for the scheme.

The programme was subsequently kept in abeyance following objections from coalition partner CPI, which argued that it could facilitate implementation of the NEP (National Education Policy) 2020 in the state.

At the time, the Congress-led UDF, then in opposition, had also criticised the LDF government's decision to sign the agreement.

Launched by the Centre in September 2022, the PM SHRI scheme aims to upgrade over 14,500 government schools across the country into model institutions aligned with the objectives of the NEP 2020.

With the UDF government yet to take a final decision, the issue continues to remain politically contentious in Kerala.