CM Stalin writes to PM Modi for quick release of ‘withheld' Samagra Shiksha Abhiyaan funds

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and expeditiously release the ‘withheld’ Samagra Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA) grants due to Tamil Nadu from the Centre.

Drawing the PM’s attention to media reports suggesting that the first installment under the SSA has not yet been released to Tamil Nadu and a few other states for not subscribing to the National Education Policy (NEP), Stalin said, “The SSA is a primary centrally-sponsored scheme in the country's education sector, and therefore, the timely release of funds is of utmost importance.”

Stating that funds are released every year subject to the sanction of the Project Approval Board (PAB) for ongoing programmes, for payment of salaries to teachers and new initiatives intended to improve the quality and outcomes of education, the CM said that the current move of the Government of India to withhold funds under SSA will severely impact the education of millions of children from disadvantaged backgrounds and the teaching fraternity directly. It goes against the stated objective of SSA, which is "no child should be denied the opportunity for education," the CM wrote in his letter to the PM.

Stalin urged the Prime Minister to "personally intervene to expedite the release of pending grants under SSA and delink the release of funds from an issue that requires further deliberations."

“Lately, it has been noticed that the Union Government is attempting to link the complete implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) in PM Shri Schools as a prerequisite for sanctioning funds under the ongoing SSA scheme. Funds have been released to states that have entered into MoUs. It is well known that Tamil Nadu has significant reservations about specific provisions in the NEP 2020. The request of the State to make a minimal modification to the MoU to align itself to PM Shri schools has not yet been accepted,” Stalin said.

He further added that progressive states like Tamil Nadu have pioneered and implemented many path-breaking schemes and programmes in both school and higher education. "Further, due to the regional differences in socio-economic conditions, infrastructure, resources, it is imperative that states have a fair say in implementing policies affecting children in matters pertaining to education which is placed in the concurrent list of the Constitution of India," he added.

CM Stalin pointed out that for 2024-25, an allocation of Rs 3,586 crore was made for Tamil Nadu under the SSA, out of which the Union Government's share is Rs 2,152 crore (60%). “The release of the first instalment of Rs 573 crore is overdue, though the proposals were submitted in April 2024 itself. Besides this, the Union Government is yet to release Rs 249 crore due for the previous year,” he alleged, recalling how a portion of the pending funds were released in the last financial year only after he wrote to the Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan.

Citing a representation made by a delegation of Members of Parliament from Tamil Nadu with the Union Minister in July for the timely release of grants, Stalin said that there has been no release of grants to the State under the SSA so far.