Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan (left) and CPI leader Binoy Viswam.
Credit: PTI Photos
Thiruvananthapuram: Even as the CPI in Kerala is unhappy over the delay on the part of the state government in informing the Centre about the decision to freeze the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) in the state, the CPI in unlikely to go for further open revolt with the CPI(M) on the matter as the elections are approaching in the state.
The Centre on Tuesday disbursed Rs. 92.4 crore to the state on account of the long pending due on Samagra Shiksha Kerala (SSK) scheme, which is believed to be sequel to the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Kerala education department with the Centre recently for implementing PM SHRI in state schools.
Though the state cabinet meeting held on October 29 decided to freeze the MoU considering CPI's strong protest, the education department, which is a portfolio held by the CPI(M), did not convey the matter to the Centre even after a week. There are allegations that it was a ploy to get the central funds and keep the PM SHRI agreement live.
State general education minister V Sivankutty told reporters that it was in the process of sending the letter to the Centre after getting a legal opinion. He also said that only funds due to the state were received.
It is reliably learnt that the CPI would not go for further open revolt with the CPI(M) over the matter as it could affect the left front in the local body polls that are approaching as well as the Assembly polls to follow.
The CPI is of the view that it has already made a political victory on the matter by making the government and the CPI(M) leadership admit the lapse in taking the decision to implement PM SHRI without discussion in the ruling front of the cabinet.
The CPI(M) and the CPI were of the view that PM SHRI is a ploy of the Centre to impose BJP-RSS ideologies in the education sector. But the CPI(M) was justifying the decision to sign the MoU citing that the Centre was withholding funds due to the state education sector.