T’puram: Opposition leader Pinarayi Vijayan said nothing prevented the state govt from not implementing PM Shri (Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India) scheme and asked chief minister V D Satheesan to explain what prompted UDF to suddenly change its stand on the scheme it had opposed while it was in the opposition.Addressing a news conference on Thursday, Vijayan said UDF govt had no obligation to implement PM Shri scheme just because LDF govt had signed an MoU with the central govt.“LDF govt had signed an MoU, but it later informed the Centre that the state had no plan to go ahead with the project. This was done following the decision taken by LDF. If LDF had won this year’s elections, it would not have revisited the scheme. UDF govt should tell what forced it to embrace the very scheme against which the front spoke volumes while in the opposition,” he said.The opposition leader said it was wrong to say that LDF govt received PM Shri funds from the Centre last year. “The then govt received SSK funds. Nothing is going to happen if Kerala doesn’t get PM SHRI funds. The state has already achieved most of the objectives listed in PM Shri scheme,” he said.All Congress-led govts elsewhere in the country had already signed the scheme’s MoU without raising objections. UDF in Kerala is following their path, he added. Vijayan also accused the UDF govt of scuttling the welfare schemes introduced by LDF govt. Vijayan claimed that weaker sections in society were subjected to severe hardship on account of this obstructive attitude by the new govt.“The programmes for women’s safety and connect to work meant for job aspirants have come to a standstill. State govt has introduced severe restrictions on pension distribution. Finance department has withheld welfare pension for April and May along with the pension for NRKs,” he alleged. Vijayan asked the govt to ensure continuity of welfare programme introduced by the previous LDF govt.
