Letter to stop further steps of PM Shri ready, Chief Secretary will inform cabinet’s decision to Center 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government has prepared a letter to inform the Center their demand to stop further steps in the PM Shri project. The chief secretary will inform cabinet’s decision to the Center through a letter today. The central government is giving an indication that it cannot wait any longer on the PM Shri project. The central government informed that they will consider further steps after receiving Kerala's letter.

The cntral government's explanation is that there is no provision to freeze or withdraw from the agreement for PM Shri. The list of schools to be provided financial assistance has already been prepared. The implementation of the provisions under the project cannot be extended indefinitely. It will also be decided after examining the letter whether funds including Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan will be provided. When the Punjab government withdrew from PM Shri after signing the MoU, the Center did not allow this. However, Punjab later changed their stand after the Center withheld the funds.

Meantime, the CPI is of the view that there is no need for any more verbal spats in PM Shri. A show-cause notice has been sent to AIYF workers for burning the effigy of Education Minister V Sivankutty in Kannur. The CPI took the new decision after Sivankutty's emotional response that the protest from the CPI was hurtful. The minister's response was that the approach of trampling on people when something happens is not good. He also had openly told the media yesterday that Minister G R Anil's contemptuous sarcasm also hurt him.