HC issues directives to Mah govt over malnutrition death prevention

Mumbai, Sep 20 (UNI) The Bombay High Court today rapped the Maharashtra government over the issue of malnutrition deaths in the state and issued directives for implementation of various schemes to bring the mortality rate to nil in the next five years.

This was after an affidavit filed by the government today revealed that in the current year (2005-2006) there have been 7,700 malnutrition deaths in 15 tribal districts of the state. In 2004-05, there were 8,003 deaths, while in 2003-04, 8,321 children died due to malnutrition.

A division bench comprising Justices R M Lodha and S A Bobde, while hearing a bunch of petitions and its suo moto initiation of proceedings regarding malnutrition deaths, directed the state government to launch ''Bal-Mrityu Mukta Maharashtra'' (Maharashtra free of child-deaths) mission, which was conceived by Dr Abhay Bang Committee a few years ago.

The division bench rapped the government for failing to curb the infant mortality as well as deaths of the children due to malnutrition, saying ''the state government has failed in its primary duty to raise nutrition levels for the children.'' The state counsel's submission that compared to the previous two years, the number of malnutrition deaths in the tribal areas have come down could not satisfy the court.

Justice Lodha observed that the malnutrition was the worst form of violation of the Constitution's Article 21 'Protection of life and personal liberty', especially after 59 years of Independence.

The court also directed the state to modify the ''Rajmata Jijau Child and Maternity Welfare Scheme'', which is aimed at reducing deaths during the pregnancy.

The court also held that local Gram Panchayats and voluntary organisations should be involved in the action of the government and work simultaneously for the purpose.

The court was also annoyed when the state's counsel could not confirm whether all the additional 12,684 Anganwadi Centres that the government had last year promised the High Court to make functional by June this year had been started or not.

When the government pleader replied that 80 per cent of them were fully functional, the court ordered that if by October 31 all the centres were not started, then State Director General of Health Services P P Doke would be held responsible for the contempt of court.

The court also directed that the government should initiate training programme for the Wada volunteers (volunteers recruited from among the tribals) in neo-natal care by January one, if not already done.

The state is to file compliance report on implementation of all these measures by October 18.

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