The Centre has withheld grants of over ₹1,800 crore to Bengal under a key school education scheme after the state disagreed to implement another central programme that wanted select schools to prefix “Prime Minister” to their names.

For over two years, Bengal has not been getting funds under the rural employment and housing schemes.

Under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), the key scheme for implementing the Right to Education Act, the education ministry has withheld grants to Bengal, particularly after the state did not agree to implement the centrally sponsored Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India (PM-Shri).

Trinamool Congress member in the Lok Sabha Abhishek Banerjee on Monday wanted to know the details of the funds allotted to states under the SSA in the last five years and the reason for not releasing money to some states, including Bengal, under the scheme.

In a written reply, minister of state for education Jayant Singh said the amount approved as the proposed central share for Bengal under the SSA from 2019-20 to 2023-24 was ₹7,853.65 crore, of which ₹6,049.56 crore has been
released to the state.

Under PM-Shri, the Centre wants to upgrade 14,597 schools by providing extra funds for new facilities. The schools would showcase green buildings with solar panels and LEDs, nutrition gardens, waste management and water conservation facilities and create awareness about sustainable lifestyles. Each block can nominate a maximum of two schools. The minister said the SSA had also been aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and that PM-Shri supplemented the SSA.

“States and UTs are required to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the department of school education and literacy, ministry of education, for implementation of the PM-Shri scheme. Out of 36 states/UTs, 33 states/UTs have signed the MoU so far. Three states, including Bengal, have not signed the MoU,” the minister said.

According to state officials, funds flow to Bengal under the SSA has been erratic in the last two years after its disagreement over PM-Shri, which the Bengal government feels is aimed at political benefits since “Prime Minister” has to be prefixed to the school name.