Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar announced on Thursday that administrative approval has been granted for Rs 159.36 crore to construct 11 government hostels for children of migrant sugarcane workers in Beed district. The hostels will be built under the Sant Bhagwan Baba Government Hostel Scheme, aiming to encourage education among these children and ensure their studies continue uninterrupted.
A statement from Pawar’s office said the announcement followed the DPDC meeting. The scheme envisages 82 government hostels statewide—41 each for boys and girls—targeting talukas with high concentrations of sugarcane workers.
“Each hostel will have a capacity of 100 students. In the first phase, 20 hostels were approved. Now, approval has been granted to start the remaining 62 hostels. In Beed district alone, 22 hostels have been sanctioned through a government resolution issued by the Social Justice Department,” Pawar said.
She credited the initiative to the late Ajit Pawar, noting that it was his dream to integrate children of sugarcane workers into mainstream education. “He had consistently followed up on the proposal, and land had been identified at several locations during his tenure as guardian minister,” she added.
The Deputy CM emphasized that the Public Works Department has been instructed to ensure quality construction, following standards similar to those implemented by the SARATHI institution for Maratha community students.
Currently, government land is available for three hostels under construction. Of the remaining 19, land has been secured for 11, for which administrative approval has now been granted. The newly approved hostels will include two each at Patoda, Kej, Parli, Georai, and Majalgaon, with one girls’ hostel at Beed, ensuring educational facilities for children across multiple talukas.
This initiative is expected to provide safe, quality accommodation and support for children of migrant sugarcane workers, helping reduce dropout rates and promote equitable access to education in rural Maharashtra.
Source: Hindustan Times
