Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu has accused the Central government of withholding Rs 2,152 crore of funds slated for Tamil Nadu under the Samagra Shiksha Scheme, a centrally sponsored scheme (CSS), to force the state to implement the new education policy (NEP) and the three-language-formula.
The Central government had earlier stopped the release of funds under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme (another CSS) in West Bengal, citing irregularities in the scheme’s implementation. Mamata Banerjee has accused the Central government of not releasing the funds despite considerable time-lapse, numerous visits by Central government teams, and no charge sheet.
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Will the spat between the Central government and opposition states turn into an open war? Is weaponisation of CSS funds by the Central government constitutionally permissible? What would be a fair resolution?
(Subhash Chandra Garg is the Chief Policy Advisor, SUBHANJALI, and Former Finance and Economic Affairs Secretary, Government of India. He’s the author of many books, including ‘The $10 Trillion Dream Dented, We Also Make Policy, and Explanation and Commentary on Budget 2024-25’. This is an opinion piece, and the views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same.)
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