Residents of a hostel at Jogeshwari, who belong to the reserved categories and come from all over the state, are planning to beg in protest, as they have not received their stipend for over a year
The 130 residents of the hostel will protest by begging
Mahatma Jyotiba Phule, the thinker, writer and social reformer, worked all his life for the upliftment of the lower classes. Ironically, residents of a hostel given his name at Jogeshwari, who belong to the reserved categories and come from all over the state, are planning to beg in protest, as they have not received their stipend for over a year.
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The hostel is run by the Maharashtra government's Social Welfare Department which has to deposit a stipend of Rs 800 per student per month, into their bank accounts. As this has not been done, the 130 residents of the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Hostel are going to protest government apathy by begging on the streets.
A passbook of one of the students shows there is no entry from last year and they haven't received stipend since then
"We are entitled to get stipend as well as free stationery. We have been waiting for the stationery since two years. But not getting the stipend for a year has made our life very difficult in this city. Though the stipend was not paid on time, the department would generally disburse funds at regular intervals. But now even the financial year has ended, yet there is no sign of the money," said Mahesh Dabholkar, a student of Kirti College who hails from Sindhudurg.
Begging as protest
Students are familiar with the delay in getting stipend. But even one big sum will help them travel and buy stationery. Another student, Raghvendra Kamble, said, "Whenever we go to the Social Welfare Department office, the officials are never on their seats. Whom do we complain to? So we have decided to protest by begging. We will then give the money collected to the Department." Students have also given a letter to the Department in this regard.
Manoj Tekade, of Prahar Students' Organisation, which is helping the students, said, "This is clear exploitation of students. Students have warned the Social Welfare Department that if they do not disburse the funds next week, they will begin begging."
Official unavailable
Despite several attempts to contact him, M S Shere, Assistant Commissioner, Mumbai Suburbs for Social Welfare Department, was unavailable for comment.
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