Tribal students in Pune fight for hostel mess to be operational

The state government is planning to deposit a stipulated amount into the bank accounts of students every month under the direct benefit scheme.

The state government’s recent decision to shut down the mess in the government hostels of the tribal development department and instead transfer money as food allowance for each student, has not gone well with the students.

Tribal students say that food is the basic necessity that they need on a daily basis and they cannot compromise on that.” (HT representational photo)

As per the decision, the state government is planning to deposit a stipulated amount into the bank accounts of students every month under the direct benefit scheme.

As a mark of protest, thousands of tribal students will be marching from Pune to Nashik, to assemble at the adivasi vikas bhavan, headquarters of the tribal development commissionerate, Nashik on August 28.

Suman Dhurve, one of the students staying in a hostel near Hadapsar said, “Time and again, the government has introduced a number of allowances under the direct benefit scheme which has never been reaching the accounts on time. Be it monthly allowance or our scholarship money, they would never come on time. And, we do not want another such uncertain allowance to be added to the list. Food is the basic necessity we need on a daily basis and we cannot compromise on that.”

“The basic monthly allowance of ₹800 also does not come each month. Sometimes they skip it and give it after 2-3 months or more. How do they expect us to manage. And, on top of this if the food allowance is so uncertain, how can we manage. We want food, can’t eat money” added Dhurve. Helping the students in their struggle, the Students Federation of India (SFI) has been conducting several campaigns against the decision, in various hostels. The campaign in Pune was from August 6 to 11.