Kerala: UDF, LDF spar over PM SHRI scheme

Kerala's Education Minister N Samsudheen on June 9 defended the state government's position on the PM SHRI Schools scheme, clarifying that it was the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government that had signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Centre and received Rs 93 crore under the centrally sponsored programme.

Hitting back at the United Democratic Front (UDF) over allegations of misinformation, Samsudheen said the facts were not in dispute. "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," he told reporters.

No new deal signed

The minister reaffirmed that the present LDF government's political opposition to certain conditions attached to the PM SHRI scheme remained firm, while clarifying that no fresh agreement had been entered into with the Centre. He added that unilaterally withdrawing from an MoU signed jointly by both governments was not a straightforward process, and that the ruling coalition would deliberate on the matter before arriving at a final decision.

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"When objections were raised earlier, the scheme was not completely withdrawn.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

CPI(M) vs UDF row

The minister's remarks came in response to criticism from senior CPI(M) leader V Sivankutty, who had accused the UDF government of spreading misinformation regarding the PM SHRI scheme. In a Facebook post on June 8, Sivankutty said Kerala had not implemented the scheme and had not received any funds under it, terming claims to the contrary a "blatant lie."

"The state General Education Minister's claim that Kerala received funds under PM SHRI is a blatant lie. Kerala has not started the scheme and has not received even a single rupee for it," he said. Shivan was reacting to an earlier statement of Samusdheen, who claimed that the present government was only continuing the decision of the previous administration with respect to the PM Shri scheme. Samsudeen claimed the previous the LDF government had signed the agreement with the Centre and received funds under the scheme.

BJP demands apology

Meanwhile, BJP state president K Surendran alleged that the previous LDF government had signed the MoU despite publicly opposing the scheme, and said the present UDF government would eventually have to implement it. He also demanded that both the LDF and the UDF apologise to students and parents for delaying the implementation of the project.

How the row began

The PM SHRI issue became contentious during the tenure of the previous LDF government after it signed an MoU with the Centre. The state later kept the scheme in abeyance following objections from coalition partner CPI, which argued that it could facilitate the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The Congress-led UDF, then in the opposition, had also criticised the LDF government's decision to sign the agreement.

What is PM SHRI?

Launched by the Centre in September 2022, the PM SHRI — Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India — scheme seeks to upgrade more than 14,500 existing government schools across the country into model institutions aligned with NEP 2020.

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

(With agency inputs)