Sarva Shiksha funds for Gujarat halved in 3 years

AHMEDABAD: Funds under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) to Gujarat have been reduced to 44% since the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government is in power.
According to figures of ministry of human resource and development (MHRD), Gujarat was allocated around Rs 8,055.96 crore under SSA by the UPA regime in 2013-14, which was reduced to Rs 7,847.64 crore in 2014-15 by the current NDA government.
In 2015-16, the fund was drastically cut down to Rs 4,519.60 crore by the Modi government. These figures were released by Union HRD minister Smriti Irani recently.
SSA has been launched for universalizing elementary education and being implemented in partnership between the Centre and state governments. The programme seeks to provide access, equity, retention and quality in elementary education.
The figures are in sharp contrast to the state government's claim to promote elementary education by initiating Shala Praveshotsav -the annual school enrolment drive.
Opposition Congress sees reducing fund for SSA as an injustice to Gujarat. Congress leader and educationist Manish Doshi said that this "Gujarat Model" is being replicated in the entire country. "Chopping funds for social sectors like health and education was started by the previous government in the state," he said.
"The previous Gujarat government, led by Narendra Modi, had shown utter negligence towards education wherein grant-in-aid institutes were shut down in large numbers," Doshi alleged. Doshi said that the government is merely busy in holding 'Utsavs' - including the current Shala Praveshotsav programme.