The Bombay High Court today asked the Maharashtra government to file an affidavit by November 20 informing what steps it had taken to prevent alleged death of children due to malnutrition in Melghat and other tribal areas of the state.
The direction was given by a bench headed by Justice S J Vajifdar, who was hearing a petition filed by two doctors from Amravati seeking contempt action against the state and its chief secretary for not acting on the orders of the High Court in taking steps to prevent deaths due to malnutrition.
Jugal Kishore Gilda, counsel for petitioners, said several orders had been passed by the High Court since 2006 asking the government to take steps. In one such matter, the state was directed to prevent death of tribals due to malnutrition and bring it to a zero level by 2011. However, despite such directions, the state had not achieved the target although it claimed to have launched some welfare schemes to tackle malnutrition, the petition said.
The petition pointed out that in 2012-13, 475 children lost their lives due to malnutrition from Chikaldara and Dharni areas. Of these, 315 deaths were reported from Dharni. Atleast 200 'still born' cases have been reported from these areas, the petition, filed by Dr Rajendra Burma and Dr Ravindra Kolhe, said.
The court had passed various orders on the issue but they have been wilfully disobeyed by officers of the state, the petition alleged and sought contempt action against them.
The petition alleged that the posts of assistant medical officers in primary health centres at Mogarda Hiramumbai, Ektai and Dhakarmal were lying vacant since several months. The posts of multipurpose health workers (male) have not been filled up inspite of pressing urgency and need, the petition submitted. Five such posts are lying vacant in two talukas of the state.
As regards the posts of assistant multipurpose health workers in both male and female categories, four such posts were lying vacant thereby depriving people from getting treatment in remote tribal areas, the petition further said.
