Govt ignores tribal students8217; needs despite protest trek

Raite Nashik, Aug 14: Nothing much has changed for agitated tribal students of the Government Ashram School at Raite village since they ...

Raite Nashik, Aug 14: Nothing much has changed for agitated tribal students of the Government Ashram School at Raite village since they undertook a trek of 66 km to air their woes at the tribal development commissionerate here two years ago.

A visit to the school revealed that the Maharashtra State Electricity Board MSEB is yet to provide a connection and power is illegally tapped from a nearby pole. Water pipelines and tanks are dry since 1995, when they were installed to provide water in the school premises. As a result, students have to go to the nearby stream, half a kilometre away. The school is yet to receive uniforms for the current academic year. There is no science teacher or a laboratory for the students from class VIII to X. There is no principal for the secondary section. The students of classes IX and X are waiting for Hindi textbooks. The Government provided gas stoves for cooking the food two years ago, but is yet to supply gas cylinders. Hence, food is still cooked in a thatched hut near the school.

There is no lady warden since the past three years for girls attaining puberty, who are crammed in a small shed which serves as a classroom as well as a hostel. Consequently though there are 113 girls from class I to X, their number is negligible in classes VIII to X eight in VIII, one in IX and two in class X, as parents are not willing to let their matured daughters stay in the ashram school.

The school has 309 students out of which 196 are boys and 113 are girls. Raite is a remote tribal village with a population of about 1,000, and is accessible by a dirt track of 16 km from the nearest village, Thanapada during the dry season. One track requires crossing of the Wagh river thrice, while the other requires crossing it seven times. Hence, during the monsoon season the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation MSRTC withdraws its service, which is provided once daily in the dry season. There is no road from Thanapada despite a long pending demand for a proper road and bridges for the past several years.

Meera Shivram Rautmale, a class X student, who was in the forefront of the students8217; march in 1998, told The Indian Express that the only achievement of their stir was that the number of teachers had increased and that the quality of food served to them had improved. She pointed out that there is neither a single lady teacher nor a lady warden for the girls, especially those studying in classes VIII to X. She said the girls always feel insecure and parents are not willing to let their girls study beyond class VII.

Giridhar Sitaram Padvi, another Class X student, who was in the 1998 march, said that even basic amenities demanded by the students, like drinking water, electricity, benches, books, uniform and adequate teachers, have not been provided.

Tukaram Narsu Kamdi also a class X student pointed out that earlier, a bullock cart used to cart in water from the river to the school premises but for the past two months, that also has stopped. He further said that students were still waiting for their uniforms.

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When contacted, school authorities said correspondence with the MSEB is going on for providing a metered connection to the school. They pointed out that the post of a lady warden had been vacant for the past three years and that it was a common problem in all ashram schools in the State as candidates were not available for the post.

Tribal officials on the other hand said the school had been provided with enough rations for the monsoon and adequate teachers have been provided. They pointed out that the uniforms for the students were being stitched and would be soon provided to them. On the stoppage of water supply by a bullock cart, they claimed that bulls were not available as they were required by their owners for the cultivation of kharif crops.