Mumbai/Pune: The tribal students ended their 17-day hunger strike late Saturday after the state complied with their demands, prompted by a stern warning from Bombay high court earlier in the day.The protests in Pune, Nagpur and Nashik had begun in the aftermath of the death of three tribal girls due to snakebite in a residential school in Gadchiroli district. Their main demands related to the recruitment of Scheduled Tribe candidates in govt jobs and an improvement in the condition at residential schools for tribal children.The HC, while hearing a petition that stated how the health of one student on strike in Pune district’s Manjari area was deteriorating, had said, “We do not want a single child or student to die.” By evening, state tribal welfare minister Ashok Uike announced that chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had agreed to the demands of tribal students and issued GR setting up a committee under commissioner, tribal development in Nashik to study the causes of deaths of students in govt-aided ashram schools in the state and study remedial measures. The committee will then prepare a time-bound action plan to be implemented in three months and submit an action taken report, the GR said.Uike added that in the next three months, govt will analyse which cadres have vacancies and require recruitment and in six months, the recruitment drive will begin for the 12,500 vacancies. “For PESA recruitment as well, the process is on for 9 cadres; for the remaining six, it will start soon. Regarding placement of STs in the second position in the point roster as per the relevant govt resolution a committee had already been constituted and the govt would take action based on its recommendations, which is expected within three months,” the minister said.Uike said that three tribal hostel wardens have been transferred to another hostel following complaints.“Those failing to provide valid caste certificates even six months after joining the job will be terminated. We have also instructed that the scrutiny committees must resolve the cases concerning provisional validity certificates within the next six months. For professional and non-professional courses in colleges, students admitted against reserved seats who fail to submit their caste validity certificate shall have their degree certificate withheld,” Uike said.Suraj Bande, who led the delegation of students and met chief minister at his official residence Varsha in Mumbai, said, “Some of the policy decisions may take up to six months but we will follow up on every promise and make sure that govt stays true to its words.”Mumbai/Pune: The tribal students ended their 17-day hunger strike late Saturday after the state complied with their demands, prompted by a stern warning from Bombay high court earlier in the day.The protests in Pune, Nagpur and Nashik had begun in the aftermath of the death of three tribal girls due to snakebite in a residential school in Gadchiroli district. Their main demands related to the recruitment of Scheduled Tribe candidates in govt jobs and an improvement in the condition at residential schools for tribal children.The HC, while hearing a petition that stated how the health of one student on strike in Pune district’s Manjari area was deteriorating, had said, “We do not want a single child or student to die.” By evening, state tribal welfare minister Ashok Uike announced that chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had agreed to the demands of tribal students and issued GR setting up a committee under commissioner, tribal development in Nashik to study the causes of deaths of students in govt-aided ashram schools in the state and study remedial measures. The committee will then prepare a time-bound action plan to be implemented in three months and submit an action taken report, the GR said.Uike added that in the next three months, govt will analyse which cadres have vacancies and require recruitment and in six months, the recruitment drive will begin for the 12,500 vacancies. “For PESA recruitment as well, the process is on for 9 cadres; for the remaining six, it will start soon. Regarding placement of STs in the second position in the point roster as per the relevant govt resolution a committee had already been constituted and the govt would take action based on its recommendations, which is expected within three months,” the minister said.Uike said that three tribal hostel wardens have been transferred to another hostel following complaints.“Those failing to provide valid caste certificates even six months after joining the job will be terminated. We have also instructed that the scrutiny committees must resolve the cases concerning provisional validity certificates within the next six months. For professional and non-professional courses in colleges, students admitted against reserved seats who fail to submit their caste validity certificate shall have their degree certificate withheld,” Uike said.Suraj Bande, who led the delegation of students and met chief minister at his official residence Varsha in Mumbai, said, “Some of the policy decisions may take up to six months but we will follow up on every promise and make sure that govt stays true to its words.”
