Maharashtra govt clears Rs 122 cr for SARTHI hostels, Rs 150 cr for Annasaheb Patil Corporation

The Maharashtra government has sanctioned Rs 12234 crore for the construction of hostels through the Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj Research Training and Human Development Institute SARTHI and released an additional Rs 150 crore to the Annasaheb Patil Economic Development Corporation a state minister said on TuesdayWater Resources Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil who heads the state cabinet subcommittee on Maratha reservation said a government order had been issued approving the Rs 12234 crore allocation for hostel construction through SARTHIThe move is aimed at expanding residential facilities for students from the Maratha community with the new hostels expected to be available from the next academic yearEight hostels planned for studentsAccording to Vikhe Patil eight hostels are being constructed under the initiative Each hostel will have accommodation for 500 male students and 500 female studentsThe facilities are being planned to provide residential support to students pursuing education particularly those who require hostel accommodation to continue their studiesVikhe Patil said the hostels were expected to be made available to students from the next academic year subject to the completion of the construction workSARTHI provides educational and social support to students from the Maratha community including scholarships and other assistance he saidSARTHI provides educational supportSARTHI was established by the Maharashtra government to provide educational training and social development support to members of the Maratha community and other eligible groupsThe institute provides scholarships and other educational facilities to students The hostel project is intended to add residential infrastructure to the support available through the organisationThe government order sanctioning the Rs 12234 crore is part of the states spending on facilities and programmes associated with SARTHIThe planned hostels will together have accommodation for up to 8000 students if all eight facilities operate at their stated capacity of 500 male and 500 female students eachRs 150 crore released to Annasaheb Patil CorporationThe state government has also released Rs 150 crore to the Annasaheb Patil Economic Development CorporationThe corporation is an autonomous body established by the Maharashtra government to support economic development initiatives for the Maratha Kunbi and allied farming communitiesVikhe Patil said the state government had made a budgetary provision of Rs 750 crore for the corporation Of this amount Rs 450 crore had already been made availableAn additional Rs 150 crore has now been released to the corporation taking the amount made available from the budgetary provision to Rs 600 crore according to the ministerFunding linked to support for communitiesBoth SARTHI and the Annasaheb Patil Economic Development Corporation were established as state government bodies to provide educational economic and developmental support to the Maratha Kunbi and allied farming communitiesWith inputs from PTI