Earlier, the Tribal Development Department did not have qualified personnel to monitor the State's ashram schools which was functioning under a deputy tribal commissioner who did not have special qualifications of an educationist. According to an official, the proposal to create a separate wing for monitoring the education quality being imparted in the ashram schools has been now been cleared by the State's finance and the education department.

Accordingly, 76 new posts will be created to handle the new wing. The government proposes to appoint a deputy director from the education department to head the new wing. But, the Tribal Development Staff Union is demanding that instead of filling up all theposts in the new wing from other departments (in this case the Education Department of the State Government), deserving departmental candidates should also be posted. The union has also demanded that 50 per cent of the posts be filled by qualified departmental personnel.

The need for a separate education wing came into focus found months ago when 25 tribal students trekked to the Tribal Development Commissionerate to complain about the sorry state of affairs in their school.