Almost 200 children living in a hostel for poor and underprivileged students at Padgha near Panvel were recently evicted because the state government defaulted on the rent for the hostel.
Almost 200 children living in a hostel for poor and underprivileged students at Padgha near Panvel were recently evicted because the state government defaulted on the rent for the hostel.
192 students had taken admission in the hostel. The government had made arrangements for these students in three buildings at Padgha under the Adivasi welfare project. The evicted children are students studying in schools and colleges in Panvel. The state government took the Padgha hostel on rent in 2010.
Today many students turned out of the Padgha hostel protested by shedding their clothes outside the building. "What else can we do? Our exams are underway and we have no roof over our heads," said one of the students, adding that many like him are clueless about where to stay and how to appear for the exams.
As the government felt the heat of the protest, a few of the students were shifted to another hostel at Khanda colony (also near Panvel) hostel where 200 students are already staying. The rest of the students are in panic and have told the government officials that they will stay on the road unless they are provided proper accommodation.
When contacted, the local Adivasi welfare project in-charge HR Bhosale said, "We have looked at 40 places where the students can live in comfort, but we have still not got the approval from the government. As for the rent, we have sanctioned the amount, but the money has not been released by the government."
The hostel owner Vishnu Popeta said he had repeatedly informed government officials in charge of the Adivasi welfare project about the non-payment of rent. For the past few months, he said, the government has ignored the letters sent by him and has not paid him dues outstanding to the tune of Rs12.87 lakh. He said he was forced to throw out the children, telling them to fend for themselves.
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