Deputy Chief Minister K. Srihari, who also handles the Education portfolio, has brought to the notice of the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development that the State Governments are not getting funds in tune with the budget approved by the project approval board (PAB).
Speaking at the national mission authority meeting of the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) or National Higher Education Mission held in New Delhi on Monday, he pointed out that even 50% of the committed funds were not being released to States. As a result, several States were unable to implement the programmes concerned due to delay in the flow of funds even after PAB approval.
The aspects of spending of funds being given under RUSA and how the funds were proving to be useful in improving the education standards in States were discussed at the meeting chaired by Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar. Mr. Srihari brought several issues to the notice of the Union Minister on the release and utilisation of RUSA funds.
Suggesting changes in the guidelines of RUSA programme, the Deputy Chief Minister felt that States should be told as to how much budget they would be given as per availability of funds at the time of PAB approval. He requested the Union Minister to give priority to educationally backward districts so that more funds could be spent on infrastructure and repairs of colleges/universities there.
Further, he stated that sanction of model degree colleges and professional education colleges to such areas would also help their development. He urged the Centre to spend more funds on skill development of teachers to improve educational standards and steps should be taken to encourage meaningful research in the universities.
Mr. Srihari also wanted freedom to States on spending funds released under RUSA as the needs could be varying to different States. He requested the Union Minister to release funds for development of Osmania University, the seventh oldest varsity in the country, which is celebrating its centenary year and also sanction a women’s university and Indian Institute of Management (IIM) for Telangana.
