MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Monday told the Maharashtra government there must no death in the state's tribal areas due to malnutrition and lack of medical aid.
A bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice GS Kulkarni said it will pass a detailed order directing the state government to review the situation in tribal areas and file a report on the same in HC every two weeks.
"We don't want anymore deaths. This has to stop," the HC said, referring to deaths in tribal areas due to lack of medical aid, as well as malnutrition and such factors.
"If someone dies because of unforeseen circumstances, or because even after treatment he or she could not be saved, then that is a different matter," it said.
The HC was hearing a public interest litigation filed in 2007 on the sizable number of deaths of children, pregnant women and lactating mothers in Melghat region, primarily due to malnutrition.
The plea also raised concerns on the dearth of gynaecologists, paediatricians and radiologists in public health centres in Melghat and other tribal areas in the state.
On Monday, the state's counsel, Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni, submitted an affidavit listing out steps and schemes the state proposed to implement or was already implementing for the aid of its tribal population.
Kumbhakoni further said the state government was committed to improving the lives of the tribal population.
However, he said, its welfare schemes often hit some roadblocks due to issues such as the tribal belief in seeking treatment from quacks or "tantriks" instead of doctors, as well as their traditional customs etc.
He further said the state was providing ration, nutritional supplies and medical kits etc to such areas to check malnutrition, but most of the tribal population remained thin due to its "DNA."
"Tribal people are naturally thin. They are bones and skin. I have never come across a fat tribal person," Kumbhakoni said in court. The petitioner, advocate Jugal Gilda, however, told HC that most of the state's policies were not properly implemented.
The HC then said it won't dispose of the plea till the situation on the ground improved.
"We are going to monitor the situation closely. We will ask the state government to file reports every fortnight," it said.
A detailed order of the high court is awaited.