Bhopal: The Jhabua district administration
in Madhya Pradesh has denied the allegation that 43 kids had
died due to malnutrition in its tribal-dominated Meghnagar
block from October-December last year.
In its reply submitted to Sachin Jain, State advisor to
Commissioners of Supreme Court in the right to food case of
2001, after he took suo motu cognisance of reports on children
deaths and sent a notice, the Jhabua collector Jagdish Sharma
has stated that no kid had died of malnutrition.
Sharma said that 16 deaths had taken place due to anaemia
and other diseases, while 12 children died after moving to
other adjoining states. The Jhabua district administration has
stated that the reason for the remaining deaths was not known,
Jain said today.
"I got the reply of Collector on Tuesday (March 9) after
some delay," he said adding that he was analysing it before
drawing any conclusion.
"If needed, an inquiry will be conducted into the
deaths," he added.
Jain had on February 5 had sought details from the Jhabua
district administration following newspapers reports and a
finding of the NGOs - Madhya Pradesh Lok Sanghash Sajha Manch
and Right to Food Campaign Madhya Pradesh - stating that 43
kids, mostly tribals and dalits, have died of alleged
malnutrition in Meghnagar block of Jhabua district.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, March 14, 2010, 19:13