Focus on malnutrition, not loan waiver: HC

Mumbai: The HC on Monday said that children dying due to malnutrition was more important than waiving farmers’ loans and that the state government should give it priority.   

A division bench of justice V.M. Kanade and justice A.M. Badar was hearing a bunch of petitions regarding deaths due to malnutrition in the state.

During hearing, the court observed, “We have seen no political will from the government to improve the situation.”

The court also warned that if its directions had not been followed by the state, it would pass appropriate order against the officers responsible for the deaths at next hearing.

The court in the past had asked the state to allocate sufficient funds for nutritious meals and medical care, including deployment of paediatrics.

On Monday, Poornima Upadhyay, a petitioner, alleged, “The situation of the tribal areas of Melghat, Palghar and Nandurbar is deteriorating instead of improving.”

Another petitioner, Bandya Sane, argued that in the last one year, thousands of children had died due to malnutrition and no single officer from the state had even visited these areas. Assistant government pleader Neha Bhide sought time to file an affidavit regarding steps taken by the state on the HC’s order.