WB Education Minister accuses centre of withholding Sarva Shiksha Mission Funds

West Bengal's Education Minister, Bratya Basu, has accused the Centre of withholding the third instalment of the Sarva Shiksha Mission (SSM) funds for the state. Basu stated in a social media post on Friday that the delay is due to West Bengal's refusal to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Centre for the PM SHRI (Pradhan Mantri School for Rising India) scheme.

Despite the Ministry of Finance and the Internal Finance Division of the Ministry of Education clearing the release of the third instalment, the funds have not been disbursed to West Bengal, Basu claimed. He criticized the decision to link the release of funds for one scheme with the signing of an MoU for another, calling it unethical and illegal.

Basu also questioned the naming of the scheme PM SHRI when the state contributes 40% of the funding. He labeled the situation as petty politics.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Basu expressed dismay at what he described as a vindictive Central government. He highlighted the impact on students, emphasizing that the SSM is a crucial integrated scheme covering education from pre-school to class 12, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goal for Education (SDG-4).