Minister for School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi on Wednesday accused that the Union government of pressuring Tamil Nadu to accept the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 as a pre-condition for release of funds under Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM-SHRI).
He was reacting to reports on the Centre having withheld its share of funds under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), of which component is PM-SHRI, affecting salary payment to teachers.
Mr. Mahesh Poyyamozhi told reporters here that the Centre had not released ₹573 crore due for June. It had also withheld ₹249 crore, the final instalment of last year. The Centre had been pressuring the Tamil Nadu government to accept the NEP for release of these funds. It was unfair, he said, especially when education is on the Concurrent List.
“The NEP draft was released only in 2020. However, the SSA had come into existence two years earlier, and the State had been getting funds in the ratio of 60:40. But the Centre is now exerting pressure on us to accept the NEP in order to get funds for the SSA,” he said.
The Minister said the DMK MPs, accompanied by those of the party’s allies, had taken up the issue with Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan. The MPs told the Minister that funds should not be withheld because “politicising” the matter would affect the education of lakhs of students. Mr. Pradhan told the MPs that he would look into the issue.
The MPs also raised the issue in the recent session of Parliament, Mr. Mahesh Poyyamozhi said, adding that the School Education Department had written multiple letters to the Centre, demanding the release of funds. But there was no response. The State had expected that the funds would be released after the Parliament session. But several days later, the Centre was yet to release the funds.
“The NEP requires a comprehensive debate. We will leave it to the people. But the Centre should not withhold the funds for pressuring the State to accept the NEP,” Mr. Mahesh Poyyamozhi said.
On BJP State president K. Annamalai’s accusation that the Centre had reduced the funding as the State had failed to properly use the funds, the Minister said there was no truth in the charge. The State was implementing many schemes for education. But the Centre had refused to release funds sought by the State.
