Congress corners Shivraj govt over children's deaths due to malnutrition

Senior Correspondent

NewsBits.in

BHOPAL: Congress has launched an all-out attack on the Shivraj Singh Chouhan goverment over the deaths of children due to malnutrition. 

Madhya Pradesh Congress president Arun Yadav sat on a 'maun satyagraha' along with party leaders and workers on Monday.

The daylong silent form of protest began in the morning at the PCC office, which is located in the heart of Bhopal. Some women from Sheopur along with their everely malnourished children also came to the spot.

The party leaders arranged for them to be admitted to the Red Cross Hospital. The 'maun satyagraha' ended later in the evening. The deaths of children, especially, the tribal kids in different parts of the state, due to severe malnutrition, is now becoming a major issue in the State.

The party has formed district-level teams to investigate the extent of malnutrition in the State. It has already sent fact-finding teams to various uplaces. Sheopur, Khandwa, Rewa, Satna, Shivpuri are among the worst affected districts in Madhya Pradesh.

Later in the evening, talking to media persons, PCC chief Arun Yadav said that thousands of children have died in the State this year due to malnutrition. He said that the figures goes to lakhs, if the deaths in the last 12 years are counted. 

"In Sheopur district alone, 1280 children died from April 2014 to January 2016. A survey found 13.31 lakh malnourished children, which shows failure of the government. Even chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had said that malnutrition deaths were a blot".

Yadav said that despite spending huge funds every year, why the deaths due to malnutrition couldn't be contained. He gave figures of hundreds of deaths in each district--ranging from Bhopal to Barwani, Betul, Vidisha, Ujjain, Satna, Morena, Jhabha and Jabalpur. 

NewsBits.in report, photo become face of malnourished kids in MP 

The ground report on the deaths of children due to malnutrition which was first published in NewsBits, was put up in the form of poster in the 'satyagraha' at the PCC office.

The posters carried the photo of the child and the tragic story that was reported on NewsBits.in website.

READ: 20 days in a bamboo basket, MP child couldn't survive the system 

Congress MP Jyotiraditya Scindia had earlier visited Sheopur to assess the situation. He had seen the condition of malnourished children.

The Opposition has alleged that while kids are suffering, the Madhya Pradesh government is indifferent to the plight of these children.

Health minister Rustam Singh on Monday claimed that the government has taken adequate steps in this regard.

He said that health department had taken initiative and had identified malnourished children. He accepted that there were 70,000 children suffering from malnutrition in the State.