According to the general secretary of the Adivasi Vikas Vibhag Karmachari Sanghatana, Vikram Gaikwad, the government has not only ignored the long pending demands of the staff, it has also turned a blind eye towards the plight of ashram schools.

After 23 tribal students trekked 66 km from the Raite ashram school to the Tribal Development Commissionerate in Nashik on February 16, the government had announced that a seperate education wing would be created to monitor these schools, he pointed out. However, the government has not appointed a deputy director to head a separate education wing as promised.

There are 410 ashram schools, 259 post-basic ashram schools and 168 government hostels in the state. There are also 334 ashram schools run by voluntary organisations aided bythe government.

The Tribal Development Department has no qualified staff to monitor the quality of education imparted in the ashram schools, the work being done by an officer of the rank of a deputy commissioner for tribal welfare.

Gaikwad also said that apart from the woes of ashram school students, the quality of life of the tribals has not changed due to negligence by government agencies. Besides, he said, the pending demands of the staff for better pay, allowances, housing and promotions, has also been ignored.

The staff had decided to launch an indefinite strike from January 9, 1997, but Chief Minister Manohar Joshi had promised to look into the matter. However, nothing has happened since, he pointed out.

The staff will take out a morcha to the Tribal Development Commisisonerate on September 5 and stage dharna at various tribal project headquarters in the State.