Savara for reprobe into tribal students' ill-treatment plaint

Maharashtra Tribal Development Minister Vishnu Savara today came under severe criticism in the state Assembly for his "inept handing" of complaints made by tribal children studying in English medium schools that they were facing discrimination and ill-treatment.

Legislators cutting across the party lines sought to know what action the government had taken in this regard, following which Savara said although the tribal students were not facing any discrimination, another inquiry will be conducted and report will be made available.

Raising the question, BJP's Manisha Chaudhari drew the attention of the House saying that innocent tribal students, who were sent to English medium schools, were facing ill-treatment from other pupils.
 

"The ill-treatment towards tribal students came to light in August this year," she said.

Chaudhari also sought to know whether the boys suffer from skin diseases due to poor sanitation in the schools.

Members from both treasury and opposition benches raised a number of questions and sought to know why the government had not taken suo moto action and restored equal treatment to both the group of students.

Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil (Congress), Jaiprakash Mundada (Shiv Sena), Ashish Shelar (BJP) were on their feet demanding action in case of discrimination and ill-treatment meted out to the tribal children by other students in the English medium schools.

Stating that no such incident had taken place, Savara added that the department had conducted an inquiry.

However, he announced that another inquiry will be conducted and report will be made available.

In a written reply, Savara informed that due to lack of hygienic conditions and improper lodging and boarding arrangements, parents of tribal students had taken them out of the schools in Palghar district. He said, in Satara district, doctors had been brought to treat the students.

The Tribal Development Commissioner has on November 19 constituted a committee to look in to the entire affairs and mismanagement of tribal schools, the written reply said.