Maharashtra ministers contradict each other over malnutrition deaths

Opposition legislators staged a walkout on the last day of the monsoon session to protest what they called Gavit’s “insensitivity” over the issue.

Mumbai: Conflicting information over malnutrition deaths in the state emerged from the assembly on Thursday as ministers of the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government contradicted each other. Tribal development minister Vijay Kumar Gavit said that the state had not witnessed any malnutrition deaths in the past five years, while women and child development minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha admitted that the malnutrition deaths was a major problem not limited to Maharashtra alone.

Mangal Prabhat Lodha (Pratik Chorge/HT Photo)

An argument also ensued between forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar and Shiv Sena legislator Aaditya Thackeray after the latter remarked that everyone should be ashamed that malnutrition deaths could not be curbed even after 75 years of independence.

Opposition legislators staged a walkout on the last day of the monsoon session to protest what they called Gavit’s “insensitivity” over the issue.

The issue of malnutrition deaths was debated on the floor of the House for the second day in a row. Gavit stuck to his stand that Maharashtra had not witnessed any deaths due to malnutrition in the last five years.

During the question hour, legislators brought up the state’s Navsanjivani Yojana, implemented in 16 districts with tribal population, which seeks to improve the health of mothers and children in these areas.

Congress legislator Kunal Patil said that 8,842 children died due to malnutrition in the past five years in these 16 districts and the lacunae in the scheme needed to be addressed. The tribal development minister replied saying that the deaths occurred due to premature birth, low birth weight, sepsis, respiratory distress, congenital anomaly, birth asphyxia among other factors, but were not related to malnutrition.

Former home minister and Nationalist Congress Party legislator Dilip Walse Patil said that the causes mentioned by the minister were however related to malnutrition. Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan called Gavit’s remarks “insensitive”.

Aaditya Thackeray said that the information shared by the tribal development minister was patently false, and could be disproved by visiting these areas. “We all need to be ashamed for failing to stop malnutrition deaths even after 75 years,” he said.

Mungantiwar, however, made the issue into a political one and said that Thackeray was questioning his father (former CM Uddhav Thackeray). “Aaditya Thackeray’s remarks are unparliamentary and should be expunged,” said Mungantiwar.

As the matter turned into a heated debate, speaker Rahul Narvekar had to intervene to pacify them.

“I admit malnutrition is a major problem and it is spread not only in Maharashtra but across the country,” Lodha said, and added that he will ensure coordination among all the concerned departments for which a committee will be formed at district level.