Tribal Students Warn Of Mumbai Protest On March 17 Over Pending Deendayal Yojana Grant

Nashik: Tribal students staged a four-hour sit-in protest in front of the Tribal Development Department on Wednesday (March 4), demanding the immediate release of the pending grant under the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Yojana. The protest temporarily affected the functioning of the department.

Under the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Yojana, students who are unable to secure accommodation in hostels run by the Tribal Development Department receive a monthly grant of ₹4,000. However, the grant has reportedly remained pending for several months, causing financial difficulties for many students. Despite repeated representations and requests to the government, students said they have not received any satisfactory response, forcing them to resort to agitation.

National Youth President of the Tribal Development Council, Lucky Jadhav, warned that if the pending grant is not released within the next eight days, a large protest will be organised in Mumbai on March 17. He stated that a large number of people will gather to gherao the residence of Tribal Development Minister Dr Ashok Uike.

At present, around 40,000 students are accommodated in hostels run by the Tribal Development Department across the state, compared to the earlier capacity of 20,000. This year, the department has received nearly 56,000 applications, and around 16,000 students are likely to be left without the benefits of the scheme.

As a result, students and tribal organisations are preparing for a stronger agitation to demand the release of the pending grant. The ongoing protest has increased pressure on the government, with growing demands for the immediate approval and disbursement of the grant.