Kerala Govt Won't Withdraw from PMSHRI; Will Implement it Conditionally: CM Satheesan

Speaking to reporters at a press conference here following a Cabinet meeting chaired by him, Chief Minister V D Satheesan said he has discussed the matter with his counterparts in non-BJP states, which have agreed to implement the scheme.

He also said the Cabinet decided to form a four-member sub-committee to study all aspects of the initiative.

Satheesan justified his administration's decision not to withdraw from the scheme by claiming that the previous LDF government had already inked an agreement with the Centre and received around Rs 99 crore in connection with the initiative.

"An additional Rs 106 crore has been sanctioned by the government. In these circumstances, we are forced to continue with it. Moreover, around Rs 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.

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.

He said that the committee - comprising ministers N Samsudheen, Roji M John, P C Vishnunadh and M Liju -- will study all the matters related to the Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme, including the legal position.

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.

During the previous LDF government, a political controversy had erupted over inking of the PM SHRI agreement with the Centre as CPI(M)-ally CPI strongly opposed the initiative, forcing the Left administration to put it on hold.

The CM said 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He said that the current public procurement manual was long outdated and was not even aware that systems like e-procurement are in place.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.