Students from Dhangar Community to receive hostel allowance of up to ₹60,000 for higher studies

State govt in Maharashtra sanctions ₹60,000/yr hostel allowance for Dhangar community students in higher education to address discontent and lack of facilities.

Mumbai: In a bid to appease communities following setbacks in the Lok Sabha elections, the state government issued an order on Friday sanctioning hostel allowances of up to ₹60,000 per year for students from the Dhangar community pursuing higher studies. This allowance aims to support 21,600 students who do not have access to government-run hostel facilities across the state.

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The Dhangar community had expressed discontent with the government for not fulfilling their demand for Scheduled Tribes (ST) reservation, which currently stands at 7%. This dissatisfaction led to several protests before the elections. In an effort to mollify the community with a direct benefit scheme, the state government introduced the ‘Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Swayam Scheme’ on June 21. The Dhangar community holds significant influence in western Maharashtra and parts of Marathwada, impacting outcomes in 12 Lok Sabha constituencies and around 80 assembly constituencies. Last year, the government renamed Ahmednagar to ‘Ahilya Nagar’ after the renowned queen Punyashlok Ahilyabai Holkar, reflecting similar efforts to appease the community.

Under this scheme, 21,600 students from the Dhangar community, with a maximum of 600 students per district, will receive allowances for hostel and food expenses during their higher education pursuits. This support is crucial for students who cannot secure admission in government hostels due to financial constraints.

According to the order issued by the OBC Welfare Department, students pursuing higher education in major cities like Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, and Nagpur will receive ₹60,000 annually. Those in cities with divisional headquarters or categorized as C municipal corporations will receive ₹51,000, while students in other district headquarters will get ₹43,000 per year. Students studying at tehsil headquarters for higher education will receive ₹38,000 annually.

The allowance will be directly transferred to eligible students whose parents’ annual income is less than ₹2.5 lakh. Students must submit required documents and maintain a minimum attendance of 75% in college to qualify for the scheme. Previously, a similar hostel allowance scheme was announced for students from the Maratha community, which was later extended to other communities like the Dhangar following demands from various groups.