Kerala govt to pursue legal route to secure Rs 1,500 crore withheld by Centre over PM SHRI issue
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): The Kerala government on Tuesday said it would explore both legal and protest avenues to secure over Rs 1,500 crore in funds allegedly withheld by the Centre under various centrally sponsored schemes because Kerala has not signed the PM SHRI scheme memorandum.
State General Education Minister V. Sivankutty said that Kerala will join forces with Tamil Nadu to press for their rightful share. He accused the central government of discriminatory practices.
"I have already spoken to the Tamil Nadu Education Minister twice and will be meeting him next week," Sivankutty told PTI Video, underlining a coordinated effort between the two southern states.
The funds in question have allegedly been held back due to Kerala's refusal to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) associated with the PM Sree scheme — a central government initiative aimed at upgrading select schools across India.
Minister Sivankutty further cited a Supreme Court judgement in a petition filed by the Tamil Nadu government, which made clear that states are under no legal compulsion to implement the National Education Policy (NEP).
This ruling has opened the door for Kerala to approach the apex court over the denial of its financial entitlement.
"I had personally discussed the issue with the Union Education Minister on two occasions and have also written to the Centre requesting the release of funds owed to the state," Sivankutty said.
"They have even blocked our Samagra Shiksha Kerala (SSK) funds on the same grounds. The Centre has not responded positively, and we are now left with no choice but to pursue legal remedies and organise protests," he said.
Calling for fair treatment, the Minister urged the Union government to recognise Kerala as an integral and significant part of the country and to release the funds that are due.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
