Maharashtra governor wants task force to ensure food for tribal kids

Maharashtra governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao has asked the state government to constitute a task force headed by the health minister to ensure that anganwadi children get the kind of nutritious food being provided to children studying in state-aided ashram schools in Palghar and Nashik since last September.

After the death of students due to malnutrition was reported by the media last month, Mr Rao directed the state to form a task force, but the state is yet to implement his instructions.

Rajgopal Deora, the principal secretary of the tribal development department, confirmed that the task force was yet to be constituted. Asked why the tribal, health, and women and child departments did not take responsibility for the deaths, Mr Deora said, “Our responsibility is to provide financial aid to implement schemes in tribal regions of the state. Malnutrition belongs to the women and child development department and the health department is involved when children are admitted to hospital or during tribal health issues.”

Mr Deora said that the tribal department had established a centralised kitchen at Kambalgaon in Palghar and Mundegaon near Igatpuri in Nashik with support from the Tata Trust, which had invested '15 crore for the purpose. From here, nutritious food was provided to around 20,000 students in 25 schools in the vicinity of Palghar and 18 ashram schools in the vicinity of Igatpuri.

The community kitchen was managed by an NGO, Akshay Patra. But at present, due to few vehicles available with the NGO for food delivery, ashram school kids were on the one hand getting nutritious food but on the other, nutritious food was unable to reach the more vulnerable tribal children in anganwadis in Jawhar and Mokhada tehsils of Palghar district.