The Union government has been “delaying” the disbursement of funds to the tune of ₹2,400 crore due to Tamil Nadu under the Samagra Shiksha scheme, Minister for School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi said on Tuesday.
While ₹2,152 crore was due to the State under the Samagra Shiksha for 2024-25, the fourth tranche of ₹249 crore under the programme for 2023-24 too was pending, an official release quoted the Minister as saying.
Citing figures provided by the Union government, it pointed out that the Centre has released ₹17,632 crore to all States and Union territories under the programme but excluded Tamil Nadu, Kerala and West Bengal.
The Tamil Nadu government has been continuously insisting the Union Ministry of Education not to link the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) over the PM Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) with the other components/interventions envisioned under the Samagra Shiksha.
The State government’s position against signing the MoU for PM SHRI followed a report submitted by a committee led by Secretary of the School Education Department. Pointing out that one of the requirements in implementing the PM SHRI was to follow the three-language policy, it submitted that it ran “contrary to the education system being followed in Tamil Nadu.”
Samagraha Shiksha was implemented in Tamil Nadu since 2018 and under the programme, the Union and the State governments allocate 60% and 40% of the total funds respectively. However, the Union government has not released its share of ₹2,152 crore for 2024-25.
Though a sum of ₹3,533 crore was initially approved by the Project Approval Board for Tamil Nadu under the programme for 2023-24, only two tranches were released. While so, the Union government insisted that it would release the third tranche only if the MoU for PM SHRI schools was signed.
The TN Chief Secretary had on February 23, 2024 conveyed that a committee would be constituted regarding the MoU for PM SHRI and based on its report it would consider signing the MoU. However, the report submitted by the committee pointed out that three-language policy was contrary to the education system being followed in Tamil Nadu.
Published – February 12, 2025 06:33 am IST
