Kerala Minister Refutes Claims on PM Shri Scheme Discussions

Minister Denies UDF Claims on PM Shri Scheme

On Friday, senior leader of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Kerala's minister, P.K. Kunhalikutty, dismissed the assertion made by United Democratic Front (UDF) convenor Adoor Prakash that the ruling coalition had decided to advance the PM Shri scheme initiated by the central government. He clarified that there had been no discussions regarding this matter in the recent meeting of the ruling coalition.

Addressing reporters, Kunhalikutty stated that the government would only make a decision after receiving a report from a cabinet subcommittee. He rejected media reports suggesting disagreements between the Congress and IUML concerning the implementation of the 'Prime Minister Schools for Rising India' (PM Shri) scheme, emphasizing that the UDF meeting held on Thursday did not cover this topic.

He noted, 'There was no discussion on the PM Shri issue during the UDF meeting. A cabinet subcommittee is currently investigating this matter.' Both the government and the UDF will respond once the committee's report is available.

Kunhalikutty pointed out that the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the center, stating that it was essential to secure the state's outstanding funds. He remarked, 'It was the former LDF government that signed the agreement. Whether the state can withdraw from it will be determined after the subcommittee's report.'

However, he firmly stated that Kerala would not accept any conditions imposed by the center regarding the school curriculum or the selection of institutions under this scheme.

After the UDF meeting chaired by Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan, Prakash mentioned to the media that the current government is merely an extension of the previous one, thus it cannot backtrack on this scheme. He also clarified that the authority to decide which schools will implement the scheme, the syllabus to be followed, and how the funds will be utilized rests solely with the state, while financial assistance from the center will be fully guaranteed.