Kerala General Education Minister N Shamsudheen has stated that the government will take a decision on implementing the PM-SHRI scheme only after receiving a report from a special Cabinet sub-committee examining the matter.
The previous LDF government had signed an agreement with the centre to implement the PM SHRI Scheme in the state was later put on hold after opposition came from within the ruling party.
The newly elected UDF government, which had previously opposed the scheme, has now appointed a special Cabinet sub-committee to examine the matter, after which a decision on the scheme will be taken. When responding to the media, the General Education Minister stated that there are differences between the Centre and the state over the implementation of the scheme. He added that the previous government signed the MoU and gave an assurance to the Centre that the scheme will be implemented. The current government is now considering what should be done, and there is no urgency to take a decision on the matter.
Strong Opposition Against Implementation of PH SHRI Scheme
The PM SHRI Scheme has faced strong opposition in the state. During the term of the previous LDF government, the then opposition, UDF, strongly opposed the implementation of the scheme in the schools in Kerala. The decision to include it in the PM SHRI Scheme also faced opposition from within the LDF, after which it was decided that the scheme would not be implemented.
With the UDF coming into power in the state, a decision has to be made regarding joining the PM SHRI Scheme. The current government now claims that since the previous government had signed to join the scheme, it now becomes evident that the state must be a part of it. The LDF, which is now in opposition in Kerala, is strongly against the implementation of the scheme in the state. It is under these circumstances that a cabinet sub-committee has been formed, under the recommendations of which a final decision will be made regarding joining the PM SHRI scheme.
The BJP in Kerala, on the other hand, is encouraging the state government to sign the PM SHRI Scheme for the betterment of schools in the state. A BJP leader has urged the state to sign the scheme and benefit from progress in areas such as digital learning, smart classrooms, sports facilities and teacher training.
