MLC Ramnath Mote has demanded the suspension and ouster of officers from the social welfare department for allowing the provision of Rs 4.4 cr that was made last year for government-recognized hostels to lapse. In his meeting with social justice minister Rajkumar Badole and minister of state for social justice Dilip Kamble, Mr Mote apprised them of the plight of the hostels and informed them that the hostel superintendents have run up debts for the day-to-day functioning of the hostels and are now finding it difficult to keep the hostels that cater to nearly one lakh students functional.
According to Mr Mote, he had apprised the government of the sorry state of affairs of the 125 hostels housing nearly one lakh students belonging to the backward class in the districts of Mumbai, Raigad, Thane, Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri last year, following which a provision of Rs 4.4 cr was made in the state budget.
“The hostel superintendents have been somehow running the hostels and the kitchen by getting food grains and other necessities on account from the vendors. However as the government has failed to pay grants on time they have run up high debts and the vendors now refuse to oblige them anymore. After I brought this to the attention of the social welfare ministry the provision of Rs 4.4 cr was sanctioned, but the callous and lethargic attitude of the officials has resulted in the amount lapsing on March 31, 2016,” said Mote.
He added that he drew the attention of Mr Badole and Mr Kamble to the lapses on the part of the officers. “The ministers assured me an inquiry would be initiated against the department and severe disciplinary action would be taken against the errant officers. They also agreed to get reassign the funds for the hostels,” said Mr Mote.
