Stalin urges PM Modi to release Rs 2,149 crore pending under Samagra Shiksha funds

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin submitted a petition to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the immediate release of over Rs 2,000 crore in pending educational funds and the implementation of long-pending railway projects across the state. The appeal was made through State Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu during the Prime Minister’s two-day visit to Tamil Nadu, where he inaugurated various development projects and unveiled a commemorative coin honouring Rajendra Chozhan.

In his letter, the Chief Minister said that the Tamil Nadu government has been effectively implementing the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) scheme since 2018, which has led to consistent improvements in educational outcomes. However, he noted that the Union Government had made the full adoption of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 a precondition for the release of central funds. He reiterated that the state has legal and policy-based objections to certain provisions of the NEP, especially the imposition of the three language policy and the restructuring of school education to the 5+3+3+4 format.

“The Tamil Nadu School Education System currently accommodates 43.90 lakh students, 2.2 lakh teachers and more than 32,000 supporting staff. Withholding funds for such a critical and large-scale scheme severely affects the future of lakhs of students,” Stalin said. He urged the Prime Minister to immediately release Rs 2,149 crore due to the state under the scheme for the financial year 2024–25, expedite the first instalment for 2025–26, and ensure that funding is not linked to signing the PM SHRI (Prime Minister Schools for Rising India) Memorandum of Understanding.

In addition, Tamil Nadu’s School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi met Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan in New Delhi on Monday and submitted a memorandum seeking the urgent release of funds. The state is yet to receive the central share of Samagra Shiksha funds for the financial year 2024–25, as well as the first instalment for 2025–26.

Alongside the education appeal, Stalin pressed for the implementation of multiple railway projects that have remained pending despite being sanctioned more than a decade ago. These include the Tindivanam–Gingee–Tiruvannamalai (70 km), Erode–Palani (91 km), Madurai–Thoothukudi via Aruppukottai (60 km), Athipattu–Puthur (88 km), and Chennai–Cuddalore via Mahabalipuram (180 km) lines.

He also requested the fast-tracking of the Thiruvananthapuram–Kanyakumari double track (87 km), approval for the Tirupattur–Krishnagiri–Hosur line, and surveys or Detailed Project Report (DPR) approvals for several proposed routes including Coimbatore–Palladam–Karur, Coimbatore–Gopichettipalayam–Bhavani–Salem, Madurai–Melur–Thuvarankurichi–Viralimalai–Inamkulathur, and a suburban ring railway around Madurai.

Writing on X, Stalin stated: “We have submitted a petition to the Honourable Prime Minister Modi, emphasizing funding for the education of Tamil Nadu students, railway projects for the transportation of poor and middle-class people, the livelihood of fishermen, and the Salem Defence Industrial Park.

“I trust that the Prime Minister will provide appropriate solutions, valuing the sentiments of the people and the development of the state,” he added.

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