₹159 crore sanctioned for construction of 11 government hostels for children of migrant sugarcane cutters

Mumbai, Feb 2026 : Deputy Chief Minister and Guardian Minister of Beed district, Sunetra Ajit Pawar, has informed that administrative approval has been granted for construction estimates amounting to ₹159.36 crore for building 11 government hostels in Beed district for the children of migrant sugarcane cutters under the Sant Bhagwan Baba Government Hostel Scheme.

The Sant Bhagwan Baba Government Hostel Scheme has been launched to encourage children of migrant sugarcane cutters to pursue education and to make their path to higher education easier. Under this scheme, approval has been given to establish a total of 82 government hostels (each with a capacity of 100 students) in 41 talukas of the state where the number of sugarcane cutters is high—41 hostels for boys and 41 for girls. In the first phase, approval was granted for starting 20 hostels (10 for boys and 10 for girls). Excluding these 20 hostels already approved in the first phase, permission has now been granted to start the remaining 62 hostels under the scheme.

Earlier, through a government resolution of the Social Justice Department, approval had already been given to establish a total of 22 government hostels in Beed district—two in each taluka (one for boys and one for girls), each with a capacity of 100 students.

Late Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had envisioned that the children of sugarcane cutters should receive education and be brought into the mainstream of learning. With this objective, he consistently pursued the construction of hostels for these children, and during his tenure as Guardian Minister, sites were identified at several locations. He had also issued instructions from time to time to the Chief Engineer of the Public Works Department to ensure that the hostels for the children of sugarcane cutters in Beed district are constructed to high standards, on the lines of hostels built by the Sarathi institution for Maratha community students at divisional headquarters, Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Ajit Pawar said.

All these government hostels are to be started in government buildings. At present, government land has been made available at only three locations, where construction work is already in progress. Out of the remaining 19 hostels, administrative approval has now been granted for construction estimates for 11 hostels at locations where land is available, and the relevant government resolution has been issued by the Social Justice Department.

These approved hostels include two each (one for boys and one for girls) at Patoda, Kaij, Parli, Gevrai and Majalgaon, along with the government girls’ hostel at Beed.