Revanth Pushes for Development of States for Viksit Bharat

Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Saturday said the ambitious objective of the central government envisioning a Viksit Bharat-2047 can be realised only with the development of the states by adopting the spirit of cooperative federalism.

- Press Trust of India

CHENNAI/NEW DELHI: Stating that it does not augur well for cooperative federalism when states seek legal recourse to get the central funds they are entitled to, Tamil Nadu chief minister M.K. Stalin on Saturday urged the Union government to disburse ₹2,200 crore funds under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) due for the state.

This hefty sum, Stalin said, was denied to the state for not signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Union education ministry regarding the "PM Shri" scheme. He also urged for enhancing the state's share in central taxes to 50% and underscored the necessity for a dedicated urban transformation mission in the state. "Particularly, nearly ₹2,200 crore of Union funds have been denied to Tamil Nadu in the year 2024-2025. This affects the education of children studying in government schools and children studying under Right to Education Act (RTE). Therefore, I urge you to release this fund without delay and without insisting on unilateral conditions," Stalin said addressing the Niti Aayog meeting held in the national capital with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the chair.

"It is not ideal for the cooperative federal structure that states should be given funds after a legal battle. This will affect the development of the state and nation, as well," he said and added that the Centre should extend its support without discrimination, so that Tamil Nadu and other states could achieve their developmental targets.