The Bombay high court on Friday reprimanded the Maharashtra government, public health department and bureaucrats for failing to control malnutrition deaths in tribal areas around Mumbai.
The Bombay high court on Friday reprimanded the Maharashtra government, public health department and bureaucrats for failing to control malnutrition deaths in tribal areas around Mumbai. The court observed that the mindset of bureaucrats has not changed and that is why despite 69 years of Independence, tribals stand neglected just as they were in the British era.
Expressing its displeasure over the steps taken by the government for tribal welfare, the court said that even after using the allocated funds, not much improvement could be seen in the condition of the tribals. A division bench headed by Justice V.M. Kanade was hearing a bunch of petitions highlighting the plight of tribal people.
After the government pleader Neha Bhide stressed on the fact that tribal areas are now polio-free and no cases of polio were reported in past three years, the bench stated that the reports on the number of malnutrition deaths still remains a matter of concern.
A lawyer representing one of the petitioners showed the court a food packet distributed in tribal areas under the home ration scheme, and stated that tests showed that the food’s nutrition value was less than what the government claimed it was.
Following this, the bench observed that the bureaucracy in Maharashtra needs to get real about tackling the problem of malnutrition in the tribal areas of the state.
“Sometimes, we feel we are conducting an exercise in futility. The kind of sensitivity required from department of women and child development is absent. The officials there are just not concerned,” the bench said.
The judges added that they would pass the order in the case on October 25.
