State mulling talks with T.N. over fund refusal by Centre
The government is exploring joining hands with Tamil Nadu on the issue of the Union government withholding funds under the Samagra Shiksha scheme, Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty has said.
At a press conference here on Tuesday, the Minister said the State was mulling holding discussions with the Tamil Nadu Education Minister on the issue without delay.
The Minister said he had held talks with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in New Delhi and taken part in the general council meeting of the National Council of Educational Research and Training. He expressed the State's demands and apprehensions, particularly in the wake of withholding of the Union government share of Centrally sponsored schemes.
The Union government had withheld ₹1,500.27 crore due to the State. This included ₹514.54 crore due to the Samagra Shiksha, Kerala for 2024-25; ₹276 crore for 2023-24; ₹392.73 crore for 2025-26; and PM-SHRI share of ₹318 crore for 2025-26.
The funds were not being sanctioned as the State had not signed the agreement for implementing the PM-SHRI scheme. However, the Union government was not informing the State of this in writing.
The opinion of the Advocate General would also be sought in the matter, the Minister said.
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