Ministers and Officials to Make Surprise Visits to Hostels and Schools for Student Facility Inspections – Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde

Mumbai : To inspect the cleanliness, food provided to students, and other facilities in hostels and schools under the Social Justice Department, social justice ministers, secretaries, and senior officers must make surprise visits. A quality control team should be set up within the department for this purpose. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has directed that all benefits of special assistance schemes must be credited 100% directly to bank accounts (via DBT).

A review meeting of the Social Justice Department was held under the chairmanship of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at the Sahyadri Guest House. Attendees included Social Justice Minister Sanjay Shirsat, Education Minister Dadaji Bhuse, former MP and Chairman of Maharashtra State Scheduled Castes and Tribes Commission Anandrao Adsul, Additional Chief Secretary to the Deputy CM Asim Gupta, Principal Secretary to the Deputy CM Naveen Sona, Principal Secretary of Social Justice Department Dr. Harshdeep Kamble, Commissioner Om Prakash Bakoria, Managing Director of Sant Rohidas Leather and Leather Crafts Development Corporation Prerna Deshbhartari, Director General of BARTI Sunil Ware, and Managing Director of Mahapreet Bipin Shrimali.

Reviewing the operations of the Social Justice and Special Assistance Department, Deputy Chief Minister Shinde emphasized that the benefits of schemes aimed at the underprivileged sections of society must reach every beneficiary. He assured that there would be no lack of funding from the government for this. The department must ensure that the benefits of these schemes are directly credited to bank accounts. He also directed that the benefits of the Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojana and Shravanabal Pension Scheme be deposited 100% directly into bank accounts.

To inspect the quality of drinking water, sanitation, accommodation, and food in hostels and schools under the department, officers should begin making surprise visits. The quality of food should be monitored by ministers, secretaries, and officers, and no compromise should be made on students’ health.

The department must focus on effective implementation of schemes to bring the disadvantaged and marginalized sections of society into the mainstream. Special efforts should be made to improve facilities for students in social justice department hostels so they can receive better education. The Deputy Chief Minister also directed the establishment of a quality control team to inspect the facilities in hostels and schools. Additionally, an app should be developed for lodging complaints related to hostel and school facilities, including the quality of materials and construction.

The meeting also discussed the implementation of various central and state government schemes, improvements in existing schemes, the initiation of new schemes, and the removal of obstacles in scheme implementation. A review of the ongoing schemes by the department was also conducted.