Thiruvananthapuram: In a major move, Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan announced that his government would not be withdrawing from the Union Government's Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme. Addressing the media after the cabinet meeting here on Wednesday, he said that the state cannot withdraw from the scheme as the former government under Pinarayi Vijayan already signed the Memorandum of Understanding and received around ₹99 crore.
"An additional ₹106 crore has been sanctioned by the union government. In these circumstances, we are forced to continue with it. Moreover, around ₹1,100 crore is due to the state as its right from the taxes collected by the Centre and which have to be given to us," he contended.
However, he added that Kerala would seek conditional implementation of the scheme by avoiding any intervention of the BJP government in the state's school curriculum. He added that the state would have the freedom to fix the curriculum.
Satheesan said he had discussed the matter with his counterparts in non-BJP states, and they have agreed to implement the scheme.
Panel to study PM SHRI
He announced that his cabinet had decided to form a four-member sub-committee to study all aspects of the initiative.
Ministers N Samsudheen, Roji M John, P C Vishnunadh, and M Liju are the members of the committee.
The CM was reacting to a volley of questions related to the UDF's assembly poll campaign, that they will withdraw from the scheme if they come to power in Kerala.
He claimed that the UDF only opposed how the agreement was signed, allegedly by keeping the CPI ministers in the then Cabinet "in the dark".
Satheesan said that the government has to now see how to go forward with it while ensuring no communal agenda is implemented in the state, and that is why the cabinet sub-committee has been formed, the CM said.
Satheesan said that based on the committee's report the government will place its conditions -- freedom to fix the curriculum of the state and select the schools where the scheme will be implemented -- for going ahead with the initiative.
He added that the Cabinet also decided to set up another sub-committee with regard to public procurement.
He said that the current public procurement manual was long outdated and was not even aware that systems like e-procurement are in place.
He also said that there are central government general financial rules and guidelines with regard to procurement, which are applicable to the state.
"But our manual is different from that and outdated. So, we are going to bring a new system for public procurement and various government works and to prepare guidelines for it, a cabinet sub-committee has been formed.
"It shall comprise ministers heading the Public Works, Tourism, Information Technology, Water Resources and Higher Education departments," Satheesan said.
He said the committee will give reports about each department and will suggest a system to make procurement scientific, more faster and transparent.
Kerala had witnessed a political controversy in 2025 when the LDF government signed the MoU of PM SHRI with the Centre, as CPI(M)-ally CPI, strongly opposed the initiative, forcing the Left administration to put it on hold.