Release Samagra Shiksha dues to States, parliamentary panel tells Education Ministry

Parliamentary Committee urges Ministry of Education to resolve funding disputes with states like West Bengal, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.

A Parliamentary Standing Committee has recommended that the Ministry of Education amicably resolve the differences with West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu over non-release of funds under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), and settle their dues of over ₹4,000 crore on priority basis. 

The committee tabled its report in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

The observations come at a time when the Centre and Tamil Nadu government are at loggerheads over stoppage of funds meant for Samagra Shiksha after the State refused to implement the three-language formula under new National Education Policy (NEP) and sign the MoU related to building PM-SHRI schools.  

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“The committee has taken serious note of the non-release of SSA funds to certain States which have not signed MoUs for implementation of PM Shri scheme. The total funds pending under this scheme to the States are considerable, with over ₹1,000 crore to West Bengal, ₹. 859.63 crore to Kerala, and ₹2,152 crore to Tamil Nadu,” said the report by the Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports.

The committee also noted that 33 out of 36 States and Union Territories had signed the MoU for PM SHRI and are implementing the scheme and developing NEP exemplar schools, so as to create an equivalence in assessment and curriculum at the national level. 

The Education Department informed the Committee that PM SHRI is a model school scheme developed under the NEP, and the SSA is the programme to achieve the NEP goals.