The Narendra Modi led Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre is may cut the school education budget for 2019-20 by ₹3000 crores on account of a funds crunch.
According to a report published in The Print, the Ministry of Finance had cited lack of funds as the reason behind this proposal. A sum of ₹56,536.63 crores was sanctioned to the school education department for 2019-20 financial year. The funds cut was discussed in a meeting between officials of the Ministry of Human Resource and Development and Finance Ministry two weeks ago.
Soon after the report emerged on the social media platforms, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra lashed out at the Centre over the proposal on December 9, Monday and alleged that the Modi government will use this to benefit their “rich friends”.
HRD minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, along with other officials, is now trying to pursue the finance ministry to provide the complete fund.
The reduction in funds will cripple central government schemes like Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, which aims at “improving school effectiveness measured in terms of equal opportunities for schooling and equitable learning outcomes”.
According to the report, the cut in funding will not only create an obstacle for the central schemes but may also hamper Kendriya Vidyalaya and Navodaya Vidyalaya’s teachers’ salaries.
“The BJP government forgives loans of ₹5.5 lakh crore of its rich friends. Gives away six airports to its rich friends,” the Congress general secretary alleged in a tweet in Hindi.
“But, the school education budget is getting cut by ₹3,000 crores. Means big people eat ‘rasgullas‘, but in mid-day meal, government school children will get salt and ‘roti’,” she tweeted.
Congress’ chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala also hit out the government over the proposed plan to cut education budget and said that it is clear that the BJP-led government “focuses more on its own propaganda than on education”.
In response to ThePrint report, the Ministry of Human Resource Development said Monday, “The story published is incorrect. There is no such proposal at the moment for the likely reduction in the budget of school education.”
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