Maharashtra tribal students hunger strike: State minister urges to end protest, says govt ready to address demands

Maharashtra Tribal Development Minister Ashok Uike on Thursday appealed to tribal students protesting in Pune to call off their agitation saying the state government was committed to resolving their concerns reported the PTIThe appeal came as a hunger strike by a group of tribal students entered its 15th day with several protesters reportedly experiencing a decline in their healthUike met the protesting students late on Wednesday in Pune and said the government was prepared to accept most of their demandsUike said the state government had cancelled its earlier order imposing an age limit of 30 years for admission to tribal hostelsHe said the move was intended to address concerns raised by students over hostel admission rulesThe minister also said the government had agreed to construct a hostel on the Savitribai Phule Pune University SPPU campusThe proposed facility is aimed at providing better accommodation for tribal students travelling to Pune from different parts of Maharashtra for education as per the PTIGovernment students differ over DBT systemAnother major demand concerns the direct benefit transfer DBT system for mealsThe protesting students have called for the DBT system to be scrapped and replaced with a localised meal supply arrangementUike said DBT could not simply be discontinued but added that the government had discussed the matter with students in Pune who had agreed to give the authorities some time to consider the issue the news agency reportedCaste validity certificate issueUike also addressed concerns over caste validity certificatesHe said colleges and universities should not issue graduation or course completion certificates unless students submit the required caste validity certificateHe added that transfer certificates should also not be issued without the document and said written instructions had been sent to the departments concernedGovernment reviews ashram school safetyThe minister said the government had taken note of health and safety concerns at ashram schools including the deaths of young girls following snakebites in Gadchiroli earlier this monthHe said officials had been instructed to take appropriate preventive measuresAshram schools are residential institutions run or supported by the Tribal Development Department to provide education to children in remote hilly and tribal areasUike also said the Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas Act or PESA was in force in the stateAccording to the minister Maharashtra currently has 13 central kitchens providing food to around 225 lakh childrenPESA recruitment to begin where possibleUike said recruitment under the PESA Act could be started wherever feasibleHe added that the General Administration Department had issued instructions in this regardThe minister urged the students to end their agitation and cautioned them against what he described as the ldquotraprdquo of Opposition partiesHe also said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was supporting the students and their concernsStudents demand written assurancesAccording to the PTI the students however refused to end their protest after holding a nearly fivehour meeting with Uike on WednesdayThey said they would continue their hunger strike until the government issued a written order formally accepting their demandsThe latenight meeting failed to resolve the deadlock with the protesters insisting on written assurances while the government sought another two days to address their concernsHunger strike continues in PuneA group of tribal college students has been protesting at a hostel in Punes Manjari area for the past 15 daysTheir demands cover hostel facilities admission rules food arrangements caste validity requirements and other issues related to tribal students education and welfareSeveral political leaders also visited the protest site on Wednesday to express solidarity with the protesting studentsWith the hunger strike continuing the students and the state government remain at odds over the timeline and manner in which their demands should be formally addressed the news agency reportedwith PTI inputs