THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Senior CPI(M) leader and Central Committee member, M.A. Baby, has openly criticized the Kerala government for signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the central government’s PM Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme before holding detailed discussions within the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF).
M.A. Baby stated that the situation of signing the PM SHRI MoU without prior deliberation within the Front should have been strictly avoided. He emphasized that clarity on the project’s implications should have been ensured before proceeding with the signing.
”Clarity should have been brought into the MoU before signing. The Chief Minister himself had stated this very point,” M.A. Baby said. “It is based on this situation that a Cabinet sub-committee has now been formed. Our focus should now be on how the sub-committee proceeds with its work.”
The CPI(M) leader’s statement comes amidst significant controversy surrounding the scheme, with the CPI, a key ally in the LDF, vehemently opposing the MoU, citing concerns that the scheme could infringe upon the state’s educational autonomy. The government has since decided to temporarily freeze the MoU and has constituted a sub-committee to re-examine the deal.
M.A. Baby also acknowledged the crucial meeting he held with CPI State Secretary Binoy Viswam, which eventually led to the government’s decision to temporarily halt the agreement. He added that he would not seek a ‘post-mortem’ on the CPI’s initial opposition to the scheme. He also clarified that the CPI(M) Central Committee would not be reviewing the matter, as the ministerial sub-committee is already handling the review.
