CPI dissatisfied for not sending letter to freeze PM Shri project

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Reports say the CPM is dissatisfied for not sending letter to the Centre requesting to stop further proceedings in the PM Shri project. The dissatisfaction is over the delay in sending the letter despite a political decision being taken. The education department is delaying to send the letter in the name of technical arguments. The CPI is likely to raise the issue in the cabinet meeting.

The Centre had allocated Rs 109 crore as part of the SSK (Samagra Shiksha Kerala) scheme. Of this, Kerala received Rs 92.4 crore yesterday. The union education ministry has announced that the remaining Rs 17.6 crore will be released this week itself. This is the fund that was earlier withheld due to non-signing of the PM Shri.

An agreement was reached with the CPI last week to inform the Centre that the PM Shri scheme could not be implemented for the time being even though it was signed. Minister V Sivankutty said the letter drafted in the office of the chief secretary reached the office of general education secretary K Vasuki after seen by the chief minister. The department secretary will write to the center after inspected by the Advocate General.

The center had assured the Supreme Court yesterday that it would provide SSK funds to Kerala. The center informed the Supreme Court yesterday while considering the petitions related to the permanent appointment of special educators in the state, which is part of SSK, that the funds would be transferred soon.

Meantime, SSK sources said that the amount allocated by the center will be used for the needs of differently-abled children and for one month's salary of special educators. A share of the state's expenditure on books and uniforms will also be provided from this.