A day after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced the setting up of hostels for OBC students in 19 districts and said that the one in Nagpur will be completed soon, The Hindu has learned that the State government has so far sent only five proposals to the Centre for approval; not one has received sanction yet.
In 2014-15, the Central government announced a scheme under which hostels would be set up to help OBC students complete their education in big cities as their residential requirements would be taken care of.
Under this scheme, a financial grant of ₹3 crore is given to the hostel, which is designed to accommodate 100 students.
The Centre will cover 60% of the cost for the boys’ hostel, and 90% for girls’, while the rest will be covered by the State.
“We send proposals after we receive a report of land availability from the district collector. We have asked district collectors to identify land and send us details. We are sure that permission [for the proposals sent to the Centre] will be given in the near future,” said an official from the OBC Department of the State government.
“There are other hostels being planned, but we can move ahead only after we get to know about the availability of the land,” he said.
The five proposals the State government has sought permission for are boys’ and girls’ hostels for OBC students in Ahmednagar, Nagpur, Washim, Yavatmal and Buldhana.
“This Central scheme is meant for students from rural areas. The government already provides scholarships to economically backward class students who come to pursue education in bigger cities. That money may be diverted here instead of charging students fees to stay in these hostels. These technicalities will be decided once we get permission to construct the hostels,” said the officer.