28 October,2026 12:51 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondent
Pic/Special Arrangement
The Maharashtra government has issued 14 government resolutions (GRs) addressing demands raised by tribal communities ahead of a march towards Mumbai organised by Shramjeevi Sanghatna, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Tuesday. The measures cover education, access to essential services, forest rights, rehabilitation and minimum wages for sanitation workers.
Meanwhile, thousands of tribals marching towards the Maharashtra secretariat in Mumbai from Thane district to press for various demands have withdrawn the protest after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis directed officials to expedite measures to address the issues. Nearly 49,000 people set out for Mumbai from Bhiwandi in Thane on Tuesday afternoon as part of the "Samvidhan Hakk Sangharsh Morcha" led by Shramjeevi Sanghatna founder Vivek Pandit. The demonstrators had arrived from Thane, Palghar, Raigad, and Nashik.
Shinde was addressing members of the organisation during its Constitution Rights Struggle March, led by Shramjeevi Sanghatna president Vivek Pandit. Thousands of tribal community members from Thane and Palghar districts had begun marching towards Mumbai on October 27 to press for action on their demands.
According to Shinde, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis convened a meeting of the concerned departments after the march was launched. The government took decisions on several demands, and some of the resolutions were issued during the meeting, he said.
"You should not have to travel all the way to Mumbai because this is your government. The government has come to you, bringing decisions with it," Shinde said, referring to the government's response to the protesters.
The measures announced by Shinde include expanding educational facilities for tribal students and improving access to essential services in remote and tribal-dominated areas.
The government has prioritised water supply and sanitation facilities in schools and anganwadis in these areas. Tribal hamlets are also to receive priority under the Jal Jeevan Mission, which aims to provide tap water connections to rural households.
The government also plans to establish Vidya Sankul facilities to improve tribal students' access to quality higher education. However, the announcement did not specify the locations, number of facilities or implementation schedule for these proposed educational centres.
Access to identity documents is another issue the government has sought to address. Shinde said the process for obtaining Aadhaar cards and birth certificates would be simplified to reduce difficulties faced by members of tribal communities.
The government has set December 15, 2026, as the deadline for completing the process of finalising forest rights claims, according to Shinde's announcement.
The Forest Rights Act, 2006, provides a legal framework for recognising the rights of eligible Scheduled Tribes and other traditional forest dwellers over forest land and resources, subject to the law's provisions. The proposed deadline is intended to move pending claims towards resolution.
The government has also directed the Revenue and Forest departments to take necessary action concerning affected tribal settlements. The announcement did not provide details about the settlements covered or the specific measures to be undertaken.
Separately, officials have been instructed to prepare a simplified standard operating procedure for the assistance and rehabilitation of bonded labourers. The move is intended to streamline the process of providing support to people affected by bonded labour.
Shinde also raised the issue of minimum wages for sanitation workers employed by municipal corporations and municipal councils.
He said workers must receive the minimum wages applicable to them and warned that the concerned municipal commissioners and council officials would be held accountable if the provisions were not implemented.
