Beed: A financial scandal has surfaced in the Education Department in Kaij tehsil following allegations of Rs 1.29 crore embezzlement in seasonal residential hostels meant for children of migrant sugarcane labourers.
Bhai Mohan Gund, a leader of the Peasants and Workers Party (PWP), has filed a complaint with Chief Executive Officer Jithin Rahman alleging that officials syphoned off funds by inflating student numbers and creating forged documents.
Under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, 25 seasonal non-residential hostels are operated in Kaij tehsil to prevent migration of students during the harvest season. Gund alleged that instead of allowing School Education Committees to manage these facilities as per rules, the Block Education Office (BEO) bypassed protocols and handed over operations directly to teachers.
“The BEO office, in collusion with certain employees, prepared forged records and bogus student rolls to embezzle Rs1,29,75,536 for the 2025-2026 academic year,” Gund claimed in his memorandum. He demanded the immediate suspension of the officials involved and registration of criminal cases. Gund also warned of a “Rasta Roko” (road blockade) protest at Bhagwan Baba Kanadi Chowk in Kaij on Wednesday, Mar 25, if no action is taken.
Copies of the complaint have been sent to the Project Director of the Maharashtra State Primary Education Council, Mumbai, and the District Collector.
Responding to the allegations, Block Education Officer Sunil Kendre termed them meritless. “There are 244 Zilla Parishad schools in the tehsil, of which seasonal hostels operate in only 25. Hostels in five locations—Umri, Janegao, Shirurghat, Bansarola, and Misal Vasti—are currently non-functional, so the question of withdrawing bogus bills for them does not arise,” Kendre said.
He said that out of the initial allocation of Rs 1.29 crore, only Rs 1.14 crore was distributed after verification of documents. “Currently, Rs15.45 lakh remains in the department’s account,” he added.
The issue has reached the Zilla Parishad headquarters. CEO Jithin Rahman is scheduled to conduct a hearing on Wednesday, Mar 18, to verify the claims against the records provided by the Education Department.
