Inquiry ordered into BARTI, SARTHI, MAHAJYOTI and TARATI over irregularities

Maharashtra's Scheduled Castes and Tribes Commission ordered an inquiry into irregularities at four key social welfare institutions, stressing accountability and transparency.

The Maharashtra State Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes on Saturday, August 30, directed a thorough inquiry into the functioning of four major government-supported social welfare institutions – BARTI (Babasaheb Ambedkar Research and Training Institute); SARTHI (Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Research, Training and Human Development Institute); MAHAJYOTI (Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Research and Training Institute); and TARATI (Tribal Research and Training Institute) – following reports of serious irregularities in their administration and implementation of schemes.

During his three-day visit to Pune, Meshram reviewed the functioning of these institutions at a meeting attended by senior officers including Pune district collector Snehal Bhosale, additional commissioner (OBC and Maratha research wing) Chanchal Patil, registrar of BARTI Indira Aswar, and SARTHI officer Satish Patil. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

Announcing the decision, advocate Dharmapal Meshram, vice-chairman of the commission, said, “Although these institutions were established to provide educational, training, and employment opportunities to students from scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, other backward classes (OBCs) and Maratha communities, significant lapses have been found in the actual execution of their schemes.”

During his three-day visit to Pune, Meshram reviewed the functioning of these institutions at a meeting attended by senior officers including Pune district collector Snehal Bhosale, additional commissioner (OBC and Maratha research wing) Chanchal Patil, registrar of BARTI Indira Aswar, and SARTHI officer Satish Patil.

Meshram said that while processes such as student selection, tender allocation, and planning of schemes must be transparent and well-structured, irregularities and lack of accountability have been observed in reality. He emphasised the need for senior officials to intervene and ensure transparency, discipline, and strict adherence to government norms.

Meshram underlined that the lack of accountability in these institutions not only hinders fair distribution of educational and employment opportunities but also undermines the very purpose for which they have been established. He called upon the concerned authorities to immediately initiate corrective measures and ensure that the benefits reach the intended sections of society without discrimination.

The commission has also taken serious note of complaints against Banking Solutions (BS), a private agency responsible for handling part of the institutional processes. Banking Solutions allegedly failed to include sanitation staff in its administrative framework, leading to their families being deprived of government welfare benefits. Considering the gravity of these complaints, the commission has directed the Urban Development Department (UDD) to issue show cause notice to BS within 15 days and carry out a detailed probe into its operations.