Beed, August 2026 : The hostel for children of sugarcane-cutting workers will lay the foundation for their bright future and help them break the cycle of poverty and migration, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Beed district Guardian Minister Sunetra Ajit Pawar said.
“We want the children of sugarcane-cutting workers to break the vicious cycle of poverty and migration and become doctors, engineers, teachers, police officers and entrepreneurs. The Sant Bhagwanbaba Hostel has been established with this objective and will provide a strong foundation for their bright future,” Pawar said. She was speaking at the inauguration of the Sant Bhagwanbaba Government Boys’ Hostel in Beed, established under the Loknete Gopinath Munde Sugarcane-Cutting Workers Welfare Corporation, Pune. It is the first hostel in Beed district to have been constructed on its own land.
Social Justice Minister Sanjay Shirsat, MLA Dhananjay Munde, MLA Prakash Solanke, MLA Vijaysinh Pandit, Beed Municipal Council President Premlata Parve, Managing Director of the Loknete Gopinath Munde Sugarcane-Cutting Workers Welfare Corporation Deepa Mudhol-Munde, District Collector Vivek Johnson and Zilla Parishad Chief Executive Officer Jitin Rehman were among those present.
Pawar said sugarcane-cutting workers are required to migrate on a large scale every year during the harvesting season. This migration often interrupts their children’s education and becomes one of the biggest obstacles to their future progress.
“The people who work tirelessly day and night not only contribute to the state’s economy but also create prosperity through their hard work. Therefore, this hostel is an important step towards ensuring that their children do not have to discontinue their education and receive their rightful opportunities,” she said.
She added that the hostel would help children of sugarcane workers remain connected with the mainstream education system and open a new path for their advancement.
Maharashtra is a state built on the contributions of workers, farmers and labourers, Pawar said, adding that sugarcane-cutting workers play a crucial role in keeping not only the state’s but also the country’s sugar industry running.
“The hands of children whose parents have held sugarcane-cutting sickles throughout their lives should now hold notebooks, books, computers and dreams,” she said.
Shirsat said the Social Justice Department has launched a major initiative to construct hostels so that children of sugarcane-cutting workers do not remain deprived of education. The department has allocated Rs 2,700 crore over the past two years, under which 82 hostels are planned.
Facilities such as study rooms and libraries are also being developed to enable students to continue their education and build careers even while their parents migrate for sugarcane-cutting work.
During the programme, identity cards for sugarcane-cutting workers were symbolically distributed to five beneficiaries. Health kits were also distributed to health workers. A debt-free certificate was presented to a farmer who benefited from the Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Loan Waiver Scheme, along with the launch of fresh loan distribution.
Deepa Mudhol-Munde delivered the introductory remarks, while Divisional Manager Deepak Kharat proposed the vote of thanks. The foundation stone was unveiled before the ceremony. Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar inaugurated the building by cutting the ribbon and inspected the entire premises, also issuing instructions on certain aspects.
Under the Sant Bhagwanbaba Government Hostel Scheme, the state government has approved 82 government hostels—41 for boys and 41 for girls—in 41 talukas with a high concentration of sugarcane-cutting workers. Of these, 20 hostels have already become operational.
In Beed district, approval has been given to establish two 100-student-capacity hostels in every taluka—one for boys and one for girls—taking the total to 22 hostels. Administrative approval has already been granted for the construction of 11 hostels in the district at an estimated cost of Rs 159.36 crore.
The government’s objective is to ensure that sugarcane-cutting workers and their families receive access to healthcare, housing, drinking water, sanitation, childcare, essential documentation and the benefits of government welfare schemes.
A large number of sugarcane-cutting workers, their children and local residents attended the programme.
