Himachal received hundreds of crores of rupees in the last three years under the Samagra Shiksha

In response to a question asked by BJP MP Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha, the Central Government has presented a detailed account of the funds released to Himachal Pradesh under various Central Education Schemes. Jayant Chaudhary, Minister of State, Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, said that Himachal Pradesh is being continuously provided financial assistance through various Central Government schemes to strengthen the education sector.

Through his question, MP Harsh Mahajan had sought information from the government about how much amount was sanctioned to Himachal Pradesh under the Central Education Schemes in the last three years, how much amount was released and how much of it was utilised.

In his reply, the Union Minister stated that financial assistance is being provided for the development of the education sector in Himachal Pradesh through major schemes such as the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, STARS Scheme, PM Shri Schools, ULLAAS, and PM Poshan Yojana. Under these schemes, funds are sanctioned to the state government based on the annual action plan as per requirement and are approved by the Project Approval Board (PAB).

According to the data provided by the Central Government, an amount of Rs 738.08 crore was sanctioned under the Samagra Shiksha Yojana in the year 2022-23, out of which Rs 551.60 crore was released and Rs 487.68 crore was utilized.

In the year 2023-24, Rs 686.85 crore was sanctioned, Rs 485.96 crore was released and Rs 468.44 crore was utilized.

In the year 2024-25, Rs 764.95 crore was sanctioned, Rs 526.20 crore was released and Rs 466.88 crore was utilized.

Similarly, under the STARS scheme, Rs 330.18 crore was sanctioned, Rs 175.12 crore was released and Rs 36.93 crore was spent in the year 2022-23.

In the year 2023-24, Rs 224.12 crore was sanctioned, Rs 53.66 crore was released and Rs 111.25 crore was utilized.

In the year 2024-25, Rs 272.41 crore was sanctioned, Rs 175.80 crore was released and Rs 185.63 crore was spent.

Under PM Shri Scheme, Rs 135.35 crore was sanctioned and released in the year 2024-25, out of which Rs 74.01 crore was utilized.

Under the Ullas Scheme, Rs 1.87 crore was sanctioned in the year 2022-23, while in 2023-24, Rs 1.87 crore was sanctioned and Rs 0.47 crore was released and Rs 0.35 crore was spent.

In the year 2024-25, Rs 1.59 crore was sanctioned, Rs 0.79 crore was released and Rs 0.53 crore was spent.

Apart from this, under PM Poshan Yojana (Mid Day Meal), Rs 107.27 crore was approved, Rs 138.02 crore was released and Rs 108.45 crore was spent in the year 2022-23.

In the year 2023-24, Rs 108.74 crore was sanctioned, Rs 94.35 crore was released and Rs 104.71 crore was spent.

In the year 2024-25, Rs 101.04 crore was sanctioned, Rs 95.69 crore was released and Rs 101.86 crore was spent.

The Union Minister explained that for the effective implementation of these schemes, the central government holds regular review meetings with the states to monitor the progress of the schemes. Fund utilization is also monitored through the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) to ensure transparent and effective use of funds.

BJP MP Harsh Mahajan said that the central government is continuously providing financial assistance to Himachal Pradesh to strengthen the education sector, which is helping to further improve the education system in the state. He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the central government is continuously working to improve and enhance the quality of education.