
The Latur administration has ordered the closure of coaching classes, hostels, mess facilities, study rooms and other commercial establishments operating from plots earmarked for industrial use in the city s Udyog Bhavan area, triggering opposition from coachi... The Latur administration has ordered the closure of coaching classes, hostels, mess facilities, study rooms and other commercial establishments operating from plots earmarked for industrial use in the city’s Udyog Bhavan area, triggering opposition from coaching operators and political leaders who have demanded that the locality be recognised as a Special Education Zone. In an letter issued on May 22, the District Industries Centre (DIC) directed the Latur Industrial Estate Co operative Society to stop all non manufacturing activities being carried out on plots originally allotted for industrial purposes. The order through a letter followed a meeting chaired by Latur Collector Dr Bharat Bastewad and warned of legal action in case of non compliance, the letter stated. “All activities being carried out other than manufacturing, including tuition classes, coaching classes, hostels, mess facilities, residential accommodation, study rooms and other businesses, should be closed immediately,” the letter issued by DIC General Manager Nikhil Patil stated. It further warned that “failure to comply with these directions will invite immediate action against the society.” Asked about the reasons behind the order, Collector Dr Bharat Bastewad said the administration wanted to examine under what provisions coaching classes and related activities were being operated from industrial plots and whether all applicable rules were being followed. “It needs to be looked into under which clause the coaching classes are being operated in the area and whether all rules are being followed. We have sought a report and details regarding it. Once everything is examined, the District Industries Centre will take further steps since the matter falls under the DIC,” Bastewad said. The action affects the Udyog Bhavan locality, home to some of Latur’s largest coaching institutes, including Renukai Career Centre (RCC). Over the past two decades, the area has evolved into the centre of the city’s coaching economy, housing coaching classes, hostels, libraries, study rooms and mess facilities catering to students preparing for competitive examinations. Around a dozen major coaching institutes operate from the tuition area, with some running from multiple plots and others from single plots. Apart from coaching classes, the area also houses hostels, mess facilities, libraries, stationery shops and several other businesses catering to students. The move comes days after the arrest of RCC founder Shivraj Motegaonkar by the CBI in the NEET UG 2026 paper leak case. Investigators have alleged that questions circulated through RCC before the examination substantially overlapped with portions of the final NEET paper, drawing renewed attention to both the institute and the coaching hub from which it operates. The Udyog Bhavan tuition area is where Motegaonkar built RCC into one of Maharashtra’s biggest coaching networks over the past two decades. While complaints over the use of industrial plots have been pending for years, the administration’s intervention has come within days of