Edu minister admits MoU for PM-Shri school signed considering financial angle

Thiruvananthapuram: V Sivankutty, Minister for Education in Kerala,  admitted  that he decided to sign the MoU (Memorandum of understanding) with the central government for PM-Shri schools considering the financial loss. However, he clarified that the implementation of the same will be done only after analysing the special situation in Kerala.

Through the PM-Shri scheme, 332 schools will receive a central allocation of Rs 1008 crore for five years. The minister explained that if the project is not implemented, the state will have to bear a loss of Rs 978.53 crore. It will lose out on the Rs 187.78 crore in funds for the Samagra Shiksha Kerala (SSK) for the 2023-24 academic year. Along with this, the state will also lose Rs 165.40 crore under the STARS scheme and Rs 385.35crores under SSK funds due for the 2024-25 academic year.

It is in this context that the decision to sign the PM-Shri school MoU was taken. A committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of the Principal Secretary. The minister also clarified that further action will be taken only after examining the report prepared by the committee in detail. 

At the same time, government sources said that PM-Shri is not a scheme where each school receives Rs 1 crore as financial assistance for development as claimed by the centre. The centre will bear only 60 percent of the total project cost and the rest will need to be borne by the state. It is suggested that the Prime Minister’s name and picture should be included as part of branding. But state government sources claim that branding will be considered only as per the recommendations of the high-level committee report.