Documents Prove Funds Received by Keralam Govt During LDF Govt Were Not PM SHRI Grants But Due RTE Reimbursements

Thiruvananthapuram: Documents that have come to light, which establish that the funds released to Keralam during the LDF government's tenure were not PM SHRI scheme grants but reimbursements legally due to the state under the Right to Education Act — money the Centre was constitutionally obligated to pay regardless of whether Keralam signed onto PM SHRI or not.

Records show that the Centre released ₹99.27 crore in March 2026 and a further ₹106 crore on May 20 — funds that the LDF government had fought to secure for children's education rights. Despite this, the Union Finance Ministry has still not transferred the amounts to the state. The current UDF government, the documents suggest, is reluctant to press the Centre to release what Keralam is rightfully owed.

A letter from the Union Education Ministry has also emerged confirming that Keralam was not part of the PM SHRI scheme. The letter — signed by Union Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar and addressed to the State Chief Secretary, who forwarded it to then Principal Secretary for General Education Sharmila Mary Joseph — was received after the UDF assumed office, requesting that Keralam implement the scheme. It was on the basis of this letter, and following directions from the Chief Minister, that Education Minister N Shamsuddin sought a report from the Principal Secretary — a report that was subsequently placed before the Cabinet on Wednesday, leading to the decision to implement PM SHRI.

Similar letters were sent to Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, the other two states that had not joined the scheme. West Bengal signed on immediately upon receiving the letter.