Thiruvananthapuram, 24 October(HS): The CPI(M) -led Kerala Government declared on Friday that the State has joined the PM-SHRI scheme for the benefit of thousands of children. This was announced by Education Minister V Sivankutty in a hurriedly convened press meet at the capital city. “This is a strategic move because the State is facing a resource crunch. The Centre will release Rs 1,400 crore to the State because we decided to implement the PM-SHRI scheme,” said Sivankutty.

The minister said that though it was a centrally sponsored scheme, the State Government would implement it as per its whims and fancies. “No RSS elements will get into the PM-SHRI scheme. No schools would be shut down or no schools would be merged because of the scheme,” he said.

According to Sivankutty, there was nothing wrong with implementing the scheme named PM-SHRI. “It is the tradition to implement the scheme in its original name. The curriculum details are being worked out by the State. It is to circumvent the throttling of the State’s resources by the Centre we decided to implement the scheme. Our top priority is to make quality education available to the children,” he said.

When reporters pointed out the opposition and criticism levelled by the CPI towards the move, Sivankutty retorted: “We will not meddle with the future of our children. Let the students get quality and top-class education. We will not allow any actions that would put their future in danger,” said Sivankutty.

The minister was indirectly conveying the message that the CPI was against the interest of the State as well as the children. “Our government is to protect and safeguard the interests of the students,” he said. The PM-SHRI scheme envisages the upgradation of 14,500 schools across the country to ensure that children from lower strata of society get state-of-the-art education in schools. Rajasthan, then ruled by the Congress, was the fist State to recognise and accept the PM-SHRI scheme, CPI(M) general secretary M V Govindan pointed out in a presser.

Sivankutty stated that all apprehensions with regard to the PM-SHRI scheme have been cleared through discussions with the Centre. The CPI Kerala Secretary Binoy Viswam and national secretary D Raja have been left in the highway with the CPI(M) cocking a snook at its poor cousins.

Hindusthan Samachar / Manohar Yadavatti