Nagpur: Irregularities seem to galore at Tribal Department run Ahilyadevi Holkar Anudanit Adivasi Ashram Shala, at Ukhali village in Hingna Taluka, District Nagpur.
The owner has fleeced in lakhs from the tribal department by committing many frauds.
The owner identified as Shrikrishna Ramdas Mate has fleeced Tribal Department of Tribal Welfare to the tune of lakhs of rupees by forging and manipulating documents claiming that more than 500 tribal students are being educated along with boarding and lodging, while there are hardly 250 students present in the Ashram Shala.
The pitiable and glaring irregularities that have come to fore is that the small children have to sleep on Shatranji (local thin cloth mat) with a thin bed sheet on them to protect themselves from bone-chilling cold.
The children’s parents are shown fancy picture of the Ashram Shala claiming that Non-Vegetarian food including Mutton, Eggs and Fish is served every week and stomach full food is given to every student thrice a day. However, in the Ashram Shala, the students are not given what is promised and are given a Khichdi with very less pulses etc. To make things worse, the students are made to sign on blank papers where he writes that the students are receiving wholesome meals and non-vegetarian food.
Those students who dare to complain are called to his cabin and are thrashed with canes. This in spite of the Government Resolution making it mandatory for all teachers from desisting to even abuse or shout at the students leave alone beating them with their hands or cane.
Violating the directives that the Ashram Shala has to cater to the tribal children of Maharashtra, the Owner or Director of the Ashram Shala allegedly woos the children from tribal villages of neighbouring state Madhya Pradesh with tall claims and keeps them in the Ashram Shala. These children parents are shown to be settled and working in Maharashtra.
A year ago, a cook who was on the roll was denied salary for 10 months and in spite of demanding regularly was not given the salary. Having a lot of responsibilities and having undergone terrible harassment, the cook had allegedly poured kerosene on his self and had set himself on fire in the open sight of all the teachers and the students. The teachers rushed towards him and doused the fire and rushed him to the hospital, but alas, he succumbed to death since he had incurred third degree burns. The surprising thing that had come to fore is that the matter was quashed at the police-station and the cause of the cook committing suicide was never raised or registered.
Whenever the Project Officer identified as Madavi comes to the Ashram Shala to verify the facts, the Director of the Ashram Shala is alleged to be feting him with Mutton Party, liquor and getting the documents signed without verifying them and sending him off.
The Director’s son identified as Mukesh Shrikrishna Matte is appointed as a clerk in the Ashram Shala. He too is alleged to be committing various frauds including his attendance at the Ashram Shala. He is said to come once in 10 days and sign the roster. He not only misbehaves with the male teachers, he is said to be using very abusive and vulgar abuses with the female teachers of the Ashram Shala. He picks up a fight with some or the other male teachers and gets into physical altercations with them on many occasions.
Any teacher who dares to displease the Director or his son and questions any action of the Director or his son will not be paid salary for 3-4 months. False allegations are leveled against him and attempts are made to oust him from the job.
Apart from the 17 teachers who are on roll with the Tribal Department recognition in the Ashram Shala, some teachers are also inducted into the Ashram Shala after taking lakhs of rupees for a gainful employment. These teachers take the side of the Director and his son and say the things that he tells them to say since they are yet to get approval of appointment from the government. This temporary staffs are made to allege false allegation and serious charges of sexual advances etc against the permanent staff so that they can be thrown out of the organization.
On Saturday, January 9, 2016, the son of the Director Mukesh Shrikrishna Matte came with a four-wheeler and asked the teachers who had parked the two-wheelers inside the campus to be shifted outside the campus. When they expressed their difficulties, he kicked and dropped the vehicle down. To add to that, when the male teachers refused to shift their vehicle, he got into physical altercation with them. To add to that he abused the male and female teachers of the Ashram Shala with very abusive and vulgar abuses. He hit one of the Cook identified as Rajendra Laxman Thavkar aged 40 years and a resident of Hingna area, who tried to intervene with a stone on his head causing grievous injury. When Mukesh Matte lifted an iron rod to hit him, he held his waist preventing an attack on him and others.
Nagpur Today spoke to the Commissioner of Tribal Welfare Dr. Madhavi Khode and appraised her with this issue. She assured of an immediate enquiry into the matter and if found guilty, she claimed that they will close down the Ashram Shala. She said that if any official of her department has fouled up on his or her job, she will take them to task too.
