NASHIK: The MahaIT company has set up a dormitory for the Tribal Development Department. Thousands of tribal students in the state have been barred from entering the hostel despite the start of the academic session due to Pavitra MahaIT’s decision not to launch the website till the payments are made. On top of that despite repeated follow-ups from the administration, there is no response from MahaIT.
Free accommodation in dormitories is arranged by the Tribal Development Department for tribal students pursuing college education in the city. For this, 492 hostels have been commissioned in the state with a capacity of 55,000. Applications for hostel admission are accepted online. However, the department has refused to launch the website due to delays in payments by MahaIT, an online service provider.
Last month, the state government had given orders to the tribal development department to open hostels due to the commencement of schools and colleges. Accordingly, the tribal department had contacted MahaIT and suggested launching a website. However, due to non-payment of funds by the department for providing services to the company for some time now, a website has not yet been launched by the MahaIT department for online access. Therefore, students have to suffer unnecessarily.
Meanwhile, the Secretary, Commissioner, Tribal Development Department is also following up with the officials of MahaIT. However, MahaIT has taken a firm stand that the website will not be launched until funds are received. As a result, tribal students in the state are deprived of hostels.
“They have not received funds due to non-payment of revised payments from MahaIT. Revised payments have been demanded again. There is need and we are following up the matter to launch a website for hostel access. So the website is expected to start soon. There is no need to panic.” – Avinash Chavan, Deputy Commissioner of Education, Department of Tribal Development
