Kerala Leader of Opposition Demands Explanation on PM SHRI Scheme

Leader of the Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday asked the UDF leadership to explain its change in stance on the PM SHRI scheme and asserted that Kerala’s education system would not collapse if the state did not receive funds under the centrally sponsored programme. Addressing a press conference, Pinarayi said the previous LDF government had informed the Centre on November 12 of its decision to discontinue the scheme and had not taken any further steps towards its implementation. Rejecting Chief Minister V D Satheesan’s contention that the present government was bound to implement the scheme because the previous government had signed an MoU, Pinarayi said signing an MoU did not automatically require its implementation.