Thiruvananthapuram | Chief Minister of Keralam V D Satheesan on Wednesday made it clear that the PM SHRI was not discussed when he had recently met Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the national capital.
The CM, at a press conference here, contended that media reports of him and Rahul discussing the issue were "created from air" as neither he nor the Congress leader publicly disclosed what they had talked about.
"But let me make it clear now that we have not discussed that issue," he asserted.
On being asked whether AICC general secretary in charge of Keralam and Lakshadweep Deepa Dasmunsi demanded, during a KPCC meeting, that the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) be not implemented, Satheesan said, "Nothing like that happened." He further said that no new decisions have been taken regarding PM SHRI after the constitution of the sub-committee to study the matter.
"During the last government's tenure, the sub-committee did not even meet for seven months. Under this administration, it has held meetings. Once a decision is taken, you (media) will be informed," he said.
The PM SHRI scheme was introduced by the Centre to upgrade selected government schools into model institutions.
The previous LDF government had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Centre to implement the scheme but later kept its implementation in abeyance following protests from the UDF and sections within the then ruling Left bloc.
After assuming office, the UDF government constituted a sub-committee to examine the issue.
The UDF government has made it clear the scheme will have to be implemented as the previous LDF administration signed the MoU to do so.
It, however, said that the where it will be implemented and what should be the curriculum will be decided by the state government for which the sub-committee has been constituted.
