Centre slashes its share of Sarva Shiksha funding

NEW DELHI: The government has revised the funding pattern for its flagship programme Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) by placing greater responsibility on the states to bare the share of funding the programme.

The revised funding ratio between the Centre and the states under the programme will now read 65:35 for the first two years of the 11th Plan (2007-‘08 and 2008-‘09); 60:40 for the third year (2009-‘10), 55:45 for the fourth year (2010-‘11) and 50:50 thereafter (2011-‘12 onwards).

The new revised funding will be applied starting from April 2007.

Of the total outlay approved for the state of Maharashtra for the year 2007-’08, the Centre will allocate Rs581.90 crore with the state coughing up Rs313 crore from its end.

Under the revised ratios, the seven north-east states and Sikkim would be required to provide only 10 per cent as their state’s share. This comes as a big relief against the enhanced state share that comes into effect from the eleventh year plan.

Of a total outlay of Rs21,181.39 crore approved for 2007-08, the Centre’s share would come to Rs14,001.98 crore and the states will now have to shell out Rs7,179.41 crore.