THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday asked the UDF leadership to explain its change in stance on the PM SHRI scheme and asserted that Kerala’s education system would not collapse if the state did not receive funds under the centrally sponsored programme. Addressing a press conference, Pinarayi said the previous LDF government had informed the Centre on November 12 of its decision to discontinue the scheme and had not taken any further steps towards its implementation.
Rejecting Chief Minister V D Satheesan’s contention that the present government was bound to implement the scheme because the previous government had signed an MoU, Pinarayi said signing an MoU did not automatically require its implementation.
“There were several procedures that had to be completed, but the LDF government did not proceed with them. If the state government decides to withdraw from the scheme, it need not be implemented. There are examples of states such as Punjab, which signed the MoU and later withdrew. It will be implemented only if the state government chooses to do so,” he said.
Pinarayi also dismissed the CM’s claim that Kerala had already received the first instalment under the scheme. “That is factually incorrect. Kerala received funds under Samagra Shiksha Kerala.
The scheme is now being implemented by a minister from the Muslim League, which had earlier claimed that PM SHRI would be thrown into the Arabian Sea if it came to power,” he said.
He also criticised the chief minister for allegedly failing to prevent Governor Rajendra Arlekar from convening a meeting of heads of departments.