Bhubaneswar, Feb 17 : Union Miister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday urged the Odisha government to sign an MoU with the Union government for the implementation of PM-Shri (PM Schools for rising India) scheme in the state.
Speaking on the inaugural day of the three-day national work shop on Localisation of Sustainable Development Goals in Gram Panchayats here, the Union Minister said the state would get 800 schools and Rs 1600 crore for development of education if Odisha signed the agreement.
But the state government is not signing the MoU, he regretted.
Pradhan said the Union government on the recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission has increased allocation of funds by five times for strengthening rural infrastructure. The allocation of funds has now reached Rs 2.40 lakh crore. In addition to it funds are also being provided for strengthening of the organisation related to Panchayatiraj Institutions.
The Union Minister said though there is no shortage of funds, the Odisha government is withdrawing the funds meant for the Gram panchayats in the name of Convergence which is not right.
Pradhan advised the state government to work with the central government for the implemention of the schemes meant to provide nutritious food to women and children and to address their health related problems.
He said the the Union government has allocated Rs 1.82 lakh crore in the current budget for implementation of various women and child related schemes in Odsha.
In the current budget , the union government has made cluster Yojana for Mission Shakti groups
and suggested the state government to link them with the e-bazar.
