1500 കോടി തരണം, പിഎം ശ്രീയുമായി കൂട്ടിക്കുഴയ്ക്കരുത്; വിദ്യാഭ്യാസ മന്ത്രിമാരുടെ യോ​ഗത്തിൽ മന്ത്രി എൻ ഷംസുദ്ദീൻ

According to Asianet News, the Kerala government has formally requested the release of 1,500 crore rupees in pending funds under the Samagra Shiksha Kerala (SSK) scheme. The demand was raised by Minister N. Shamsudheen during a recent meeting of state education ministers, where he emphasized the urgency of the financial transfer to support ongoing educational initiatives in the state.

During the proceedings, Minister Shamsudheen explicitly urged central authorities not to conflate the release of these outstanding SSK funds with the implementation of the PM SHRI (Prime Minister Schools for Rising India) scheme. The minister argued that the two programs operate under distinct mandates and that the delay in SSK funding should be addressed independently of the central government's newer school infrastructure project.

The issue of educational funding has been a point of contention between the Kerala state government and the central administration in New Delhi. State officials have frequently cited delays in the disbursement of centrally sponsored scheme funds as a significant hurdle for local educational planning and teacher salary disbursements. The request for the 1,500 crore rupees reflects the state's ongoing efforts to secure the necessary budgetary support to maintain school operations and quality standards.

As of now, there has been no immediate response from the Union Ministry of Education regarding the specific demand to decouple the SSK funds from the PM SHRI framework. The state government continues to press for the release of these funds, citing the necessity of the capital for the effective functioning of the state's public education sector.